Chrono Trigger: Defiance of Fate
by Slasher71
Summary: We discovered a future we couldn't accept. Regardless of our own problems, the problem our world faced was more important than anything else. We refused to turn a blind eye to the Fate of our world. We will use time to traverse the different era's and look for an answer...a solution. Fate is against us, we've seen the future. But we refuse to let it become ours.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 / The Girl and the Gate**

Do you have any idea what a individual goes through when named Crono? I'm going to go with a resounding no. Why? Because I am the only one with the name Crono. And let me tell you...it is one hell of a name. People think its funny to ask me what time it is like I'm some damn walking clock. God, I hate my name. I can't stand the others my age in all of Truce, my home town. The only friend I have is Lucca...and she is about as eccentric as you get so I don't even get to see her that often because she always has her head stuffed in a book or neck high in various electrical and mechanical parts with her newest invention.

So what do I do? I hunt monsters to keep Truce relatively monster free. Believe me there is no shortage of them either. But, because of how physically demanding a job like that tended to be, I found it really hard to wake up in the morning.

"Crono!" came the first yell from my Mother from downstairs. She did this every morning...yelling at the base of the stairs. I pulled my pillow over my head. "Crono, Crono! Come on, sleepyhead! It's time to get up! Breakfast is almost ready."

As if on cue the smell of bacon and toast seemed to make its way to my nose...naturally my stomach reacted to this and beckoned me to follow my Mother's words. "Alright, alright..." I grumbled as I tumbled out of my bed and onto my feet, but nearly lost my balance back to my bed. "Damn you stomach." Not bothering to change out of my pajamas just yet I made my way down the stairs to the dining room as my Mom was happily humming before the sound of Leene's Bell could be heard. It was a sound that some may find irritating but was something that was comforting to me for some reason.

"I always seem surprised when I hear Leene's Bell...but it is always such a beautiful sound," my Mom commented as I sat down at the table. She turned and had a stack of french toast and a plate full of bacon and placed it on the table. "Here you go...make sure you get plenty to eat. Lucca has her big unveiling of her newest invention today at the Millennial Fair. Is that why you had taken so long to get to sleep?"

"Lucca has had her nose in that damn invention for so long I'd forgotten she even existed," I grumbled as I grabbed a piece of bacon as I topped some french toast with butter and syrup. So I was a little bitter...but I hadn't even really talked to her in over half a year...and even then it hadn't been for very long. Yeah, it was irritating. "Seriously she can't even take time to say hello."

"Now you know how important this is for her. The Guardia family even gave her the central show place for the fair," My Mom said as she sat across from me.

"Yeah, good for her. Her family is basically the reason why the fair even exists to begin with. Her family line has always been inventors for the throne...its more surprising they don't have more influence with the crown than they do," I muttered as I took a big bite of the french toast and quickly chowed down breakfast.

"Slow down, Crono," My Mom scolded for a moment as she was cutting her own french toast. "I heard that they might be showing the Princess off by the end of the fair. She's getting close to the marrying age after all."

"That would be a first...they've never so much as shown a painting of the Princess, why would they suddenly start letting her do public appearances? Seems unlikely to me," I said before engulfing more of the stack of french toast. Well I had slowed down because my Mom had asked...but these french toast were damn good. Still it did seem odd that there was a lack of any publicity for the Princess...from what I've read there was always a sense of pride of showing off their Princess and next queen of the kingdom. But it was understandable why the King was so protective of her...the last Queen had died when the Princess was young so she was essentially the last of her line. There had to be a lot of pressure related to that. I had no way of understanding anything like that...all I did was practice my sword skills and hunt monsters down to sell items to the local shop. That was how I helped Mom hold the place down. Mom worked as a day care of sorts...and a bit of a teacher on top of that.

Mom was also rather well educated as a result and in turn had done her best to keep me well educated as well as bringing me new books to read when I wasn't out trying to improve my swordsmanship. We made due with what we had. Mom said that Dad had died a long time ago back when the route between Truce and Porre hadn't been as well traveled. And also why Mom supported me becoming a better fighter...as to not end up like my Dad did. Apparently my Dad and their family line had always been knights for the kingdom so I was planning to go that route eventually.

"Either way make sure you are respectable to everyone you meet at the fair. Though I'm not worried I always hear what the perfect gentleman you are," Mom smiled. I couldn't help but groan as I finished up breakfast.

"Well we have to make a living...no point in getting on the bad side of potential customers. As soon as I have enough saved up I can start covering other aspects. Then I can start being a bodyguard and the amount of money I can get will increase," I got up and took my dishes over to the sink.

"Speaking of which," Mom had apparently gotten up as well and presented me with a pouch. "Here 200 gold for you. Now I don't want to hear you complain I want you to go and actually enjoy yourself at the fair. It isn't every day you get to relax and do a little celebrating."

Fighting here on this wasn't a battle I knew I could win. When Mom makes a decision it is iron clad and non-negotiable. So I took it with a frown.

"Don't give me that look...now just go enjoy yourself for once. Who knows maybe you'll run into someone and..."

"Don't start on that Mom...dating is hardly something I am thinking about," I interrupted her and headed back up the stairs to my room. I tossed the pouch of gold on the bed as I pulled out my clothes. Knowing how some things with Lucca's experiments often led to trouble for me...I had better be prepped to fight anyway. I slipped on my green undershirt and light yellow pants and then slipped on my light blue tunic over it and my black belt on top of it. I sat on the edge of my bed as I put on my dark brown boots and then slipped on my bracers as I got back to my feet. The last thing I put on was the bandanna that I had next to my mirror. And one of the only things I had left of my Father. At least that was what Mom said. But the less time thinking about that the better. I picked up the pouch of gold and put it with what I already had in my bag. Then I grabbed the sheath which held my katana and tied it to my belt.

Looking in my mirror I had next to my desk, I sighed. My hair was red...somewhat long and incredibly spiky. I wish I could say it was by choice and it was stylized but...It literally just refused to do anything else. So instead of fighting it, I just went with it and well...I kinda liked the way it looked...it was just a little irritating when I was sleeping.

I headed back down stairs to see my Mom was cleaning up the dishes. "Alright, Mom, I'm heading out."

"Later Crono. I'll probably run by the fair later to check out Lucca's invention. Mind telling her for me?" Mom looked over to me as I walked to her.

"Yeah, no problem," I gave my Mom a hug. "Bye Mom."

"Have a good day," she gave me one last smile as I left the house.

The location of the fair was at Leene's square. It was expanded out further to accommodate the Millennial Fair which comprised a lot of what the Kingdom was proud of. And the square wasn't that far from the house either. The town of Truce was covered in decorations...balloons, streamers and a rainbow of colors. It was actually a nice change versus what it usually was like. Apparently there had been less communication with the castle as of late so many were wondering what was going on there. Still with also the rise in monsters lately...maybe there was something to worry about. Still this was more of a day for Lucca in my eyes. She had been locked away working on whatever invention she was unveiling that he had only seen her when he had showed up to make sure she was still remembering to eat food. Her Father was pretty good at that though and Lucca's Mom was always there to complain about them.

Leene's square was coming into view...the stone brick road led to its colorful flower beds that lined the pathway into the square. Walking under a archway revealed many stands and shops that were in the initial area of the festival area. I noticed Fritz and his sister Elaine setting up their own shop to help their Father. They were basically a general store that had miscellaneous goods but also one I dealt with the most with selling things I found from monsters. Fritz was a good guy and one of the few people I might consider a friend outside of Lucca. Elaine was a couple years younger than Fritz but seemed eager to help her Dad and Brother with the shop even though she didn't need to. I walked by most of the stalls...I figure I should go check in with Lucca before anything else.

I walked up a set of stairs up to where Leene's Bell is and stopped when I heard a couple voices and a couple kids ran by me. "Shouldn't they be with Mom today? I was sure they were part of the kids that were supposed to be there..." I muttered to myself before shaking my head and starting moving before I had even looked back. This, as it turns out, was not the best of ideas. As I turned my head back to where I was walking I only had a split second to realize I was colliding with someone. I probably could have stopped myself from falling, but in order to regain my balance meant I would probably hurt the other person in the process so instead I just let myself fall and tried to help them in the process.

I was a bit stunned for a moment but when I sit back up I see that the individual I had ran into was a girl...and not one that I recognized. I mean this is the Millennial Fair and more than likely there would be many people not from around the area...but for a few moments...she was the only thing I could see. She had blonde hair...not long...or maybe it was and it was deceptive because her hair was up in a high pony tail. She was what looked to be a white sleeveless jumpsuit that had gold trim along its top. Heck the jumpsuit didn't have a top to it...it seemed odd aesthetically but she looked amazing in it. She also wore gold bracelets and had a gold belt and chain. And she had dark brown sandals on her feet, but seemed well fitted for her to easily move around in. But what really stood out to her were her emerald colored eyes...and their close proximity didn't hide the fact that he had just been checking her out. Our eyes locked and it wasn't until this moment that I realized something...Leene's Bell was ringing just next to us.

Neither one of us didn't move for a long moment, and didn't break our gaze from each other. Finally, she got quickly to her feet and rushed over to me as if she was at fault, but I know I hadn't been paying attention either. Still she started to apologize.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I wasn't really paying attention and," her eyes grew big and her hand went against her upper chest, grasping for something that clearly wasn't there. "My pendant! Where did it go?"

I got to my feet but decided to talk with her first, "Hey...are you okay? That was a pretty rough collision."

"Huh?" she looked back to me for a moment before registering what I had said to her. "Oh! Right...no I'm fine but I really need to find my pendant its really important and..."

"I'll give you hand," I said although she had already began to frantically search around. I took a moment to look at where we had been when we collided and if the clasp on the pendant had come undone. Then I spotted it under a nearby cart and I rushed over and grabbed it. The pendant was a simple chain with a turquoise colored gem...or was it a pearl? Either way despite its simple look I imagine it was quite old. I walked back over to the blonde. She was still frantically looking all over so I placed a hand on her shoulder so she turned to me. She was a little startled but quickly recovered.

"Yes?"

"Is this it?" I held it out in front of her.

I could see a wave of relief go over her, "Oh thank goodness! You found it! My pendant doesn't look like much but it has a lot of sentimental value."

I put the pendant in her hand, "I can tell, you should probably put a new clasp on it, or just be careful when running."

"Well I've never been in this town before so I was kinda looking at everything and not really watching where I was watching...and I noticed that Leene's Bell was about to ring and that's when I ran into you," She seemed somewhat flustered. "Say...are you from around here? I feel like I'll just get lost if I just wander around the Fair by myself. So if your free would you mind showing me around?"

Usually I would probably say No regardless of who it was. And yes she was incredibly attractive...but I felt something...I didn't want to just let this girl walk away, "You want to walk around with a guy you don't even know the name of?"

"Oh goodness...I never told you my name either. It's, uh...umm..." she had an apologetic look on her face. "Marle. My name is Marle."

"Nice to meet you Marle. I'm Crono. Where do you come from?" I figured I'd get the formalities out of the way.

"Well not too far away but I don't really get allowed to go into town," she said and avoided meeting my eyes while she said it. But she looked back at me a moment later dropping the previous subject, "So was that a yes or a no to showing me around?"

I chuckled, "I don't mind. I suppose it would be boring going around with just me. I just want to check to see when my friends invention was going to be shown first."

"Invention? Oh the one shown off by...what were they saying her name was?" She tried to recall.

"Lucca," I provided.

"Yeah, that's it!" She smiled...and it was about this time I realized that her smile was incredibly hard to look away from. Plus she had an energy that just seemed to draw me in.

"So if you don't mind I'm gonna see if I can check up on her and then I can show you around," I suggested.

"Yeah sure, I don't mind. I think I'd feel better sticking with you anyway," Marle said as she was carefully clasping her pendant back on her neck. "Lead the way."

"So I assuming you're here to check out the Millennial Fair then? I guess it was inevitable that we would get a lot of visitors...haven't really thought about it to be honest. Been somewhat busy with work," I said making just conversation as we headed towards the far side of the square where the main stage was which is where Lucca was setting up her invention.

"The Guardia Kingdom has been around for a thousand years. I feel like maybe this event should have been even bigger than this," Marle commented.

I shrugged, "Yeah I agree, but there has been an increase in monsters so I heard the King was hesitant to expand out as most of the Army is stretched thin as of late." It had certainly kept me busy, that was for sure. Part of the reason I wanted to do body guarding, because there was an increased demand for it.

"Oh right...I think I did hear him talking about that..." Marle said.

"Heard who?" I asked.

"Oh um...my Dad hears a lot of rumors from the castle...I forgot that he had talked about it," she said in a somewhat rushed tone. But it seemed enough for her to realize why the Millennial Fair was limited in scope despite celebrating 1000 years of the kingdom existence.

I saw a couple people that had blocked off the approach to Lucca's invention...and even from this distance it looked to be her biggest and most elaborate yet. I guess it explains some of the errands Lucca occasionally asked me to go on. Mostly go to the port in Porre and pick up a part for her.

"Ah hey, Crono," one of them said as I approached. It took me a moment to realize who it was.

"Oh, hey Keith. Lucca drag you and Hank to be bouncers or something?" I asked.

"Yeah...as well as helped her drag all this crap out here and won't even tell us what it does. She claims it will ruin the presentation if she spoils it. I'm surprised she didn't try and rope you into it," Keith groaned.

"I'm sure she would have if I hadn't been working," I chuckled.

"Well anyway, Lucca is still setting up and she is insistent on keeping everyone away until she's ready. And that includes you as well Crono," Keith said with a look of understanding. Anyone that knew Lucca knew not to argue with her when she was like this...she was mostly just in full invention mode...and good luck getting through to her when that happens.

I shook my head, "How long?"

"A few hours. She is aiming to be ready by noon," he shrugged.

"Alright I guess I'll be back later then," I said as I turned giving him a slight wave.

"Later Crono," Keith said as I walked off.

Marle had been standing nearby but hadn't approached him either so it saved me from having to explain her...although I can imagine Keith eyeing me from behind and the company I was keeping. I couldn't blame him...Marle was bound to turn heads.

"Looks like its gonna be some time...how about we check out what games they have to play?" I asked her.

She immediately brightened with her amazing smile, "Yes, this is gonna be so much fun! What should we hit first? I saw some games over there...but then there is that tent on the far side there and...oh...I don't know, you decide where we start Crono." Marle had been bouncing around next to me as she was pointing out at all the different games.

"Alright, alright, come on lets start with the simple games. We have to build up our silver points first to do the good games," I had read all about the activities of the Millennial Fair a while ago since it had been a huge deal in them preparing and planning it. I had helped ensure the clearing of local monsters and was paid to keep up patrolling the area just in case. But some of the attractions awarded silver points onto a card which I already had one. Then it could be used to participate in the bigger events...specifically Norstein Bekklar's Tent of Horrors...he was kinda an odd dude.

"Silver points?" she asked.

"Yeah, the ones in charge of the fair thought it would be a good way to make people see more attractions. You start with the smaller events...like say the Ring the Bell game, where you hit the target as hard as you can and try to make the bell at the top ring. And you get a silver point for succeeding, and each game awards a different value. Once you gather enough you can go to the bigger events like that tent over there," I pointed to the Tent of Horrors. "There you spend your silver points and when you win you can get pretty good prizes."

"Prizes? Oooh like what? Come on Crono I think I see a sign that tells us," Marle grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the tent.

It was an odd assortment of prizes...a Poyozo doll, cat food of varied amounts...an actual cat...and a Crono doll and...wait what? I looked over it again and yeah...that's what it said. Had Norstein lost his mind? "Is this serious?"

"A Crono doll?" Marle looked at me for a moment...which worried me. "I want one! Lets see...looks like we win it in the Copycat game." She giggled, "I guess that's a good prize then if you were to win it...a copycat of you for winning the copycat game."

"Well it looks like its more than just me...but he's advertising mine for some reason," I said as I was reading the finer print on the board.

"Alright so we need to get 40 silver points to play the copycat game," Marle said with determination.

"You're really set on this aren't you?" I asked.

She giggled at me and playfully poked my chest, "Oh come on, it isn't every day you get the chance to snag a doll of yourself right? Plus having a clear goal in mind can help us plan our activities."

I couldn't argue with that...with a goal in mind that meant we would be going with a focus instead of just wandering around and playing games without an ideal what we could get out of it. And well I can't say I cared to have a doll of myself it was at least something unique and would definitely be memorable years from now. "Alright...so maybe we should gather around 80 silver points so we can attempt it twice. That way we can have an opportunity to fail and then learn how best to win the game."

"Now you're talking! Let's get us some silver points. What's a good way to get points?" Marle was definitely getting into this.

I started by hitting the smaller games. Ring the bell was relatively easy but you only gained one silver point for hitting the bell...I could do that a number of times...and Marle had been rather impressed with my strength but that was hardly going to get us silver points effectively. There was some other small games, like throwing rings onto soda bottles and then knocking over bottles with a ball...some simple games...I could have done the footrace wager which you spent five silver points for the chance to win 20 but that took a lot of time to finish the races.

"Hey Marle, can you fight at all?" I asked as I eyed one of the signs that led to another game.

"I know how to use a crossbow. But I left my crossbow at the item check-in person at the entrance," she said curious as to why I had asked.

"I just remembered that Lucca also has her robot Gato here you can fight and earn 15 silver points each time," If Marle used a crossbow that would actually work really well with the two of us.

"Wait...how does that work? If you beat it up how can you fight it again?" Marle asked the obvious question.

I chuckled, "Yeah well Gato is one tough customer. And you don't really beat him up so much as hit specific points on his body. Think of it as a much more active target practice."

"That doesn't sound bad...well lets go by the entrance so I can pick up my crossbow," she said and grabbed my hand and led me towards the entrance. The check-in station for belongings had been a last minute addition as it had been a surprise request by the people of Truce. That way they wouldn't have to carry anything when going around the fair. It only took a moment for her to retrieve her crossbow...which was a lot more than I thought it would be. It was definitely custom made and at first I doubted she would have the strength to pull back the string to set it...I was thankfully wrong. Marle seemed to actually be much stronger than she had appeared. And actually her outfit made a lot more sense to me. Having a sleeveless and strapless top seemed like an aesthetic choice but it might have been a functional one instead. Freedom of motion went a long ways when using a weapon like a crossbow. Marle's seemed to be heavily modified for one thing...speed. It was meant to be fired quickly and reloaded quickly. Which probably meant that Marle was always moving while fighting. And likely was constantly reloading her weapon...that meant sleeves and other clothing must have gotten annoying so she opted for an outfit where it wasn't a factor at all. She strapped on a quiver with a large amount of bolts contained within. She attached her crossbow to her hip off of her belt and I noticed the hook it was on made it easy for her to become unattached.

"This will probably the fastest way to earn silver points," I said as Marle walked back over to me.

"Surprised I can fight?" Marle asked leaning towards me and looking straight into my eyes.

"Impressed, actually. Most of the girls in Truce don't learn how to fight," I admitted as I started walking.

"Do you like a girl that can fight?" Marle asked, this time not looking at me as she walked next to me.

"Haven't thought about it really. I'm usually working a lot so I don't really have time to think about that kind of stuff," I glanced at her as we approached a large courtyard and the robot Gato stood in its center.

"So...no girlfriend then?" she pressed.

"No, nothing like that,"I said as I stopped in front of Gato and glanced back at her.

She grinned at me, "Good."

I raised an eyebrow and wanted to ask why she cared but before I could Gato spoke.

"I am Gato, made of springs and metal joints. Hit all targets on my body in time and ear 15 silver points. Will you two take this challenge?" the voice was very sing songy...but...wait didn't he sound like...

"Gato sounds like you Crono," Marle finished my thought out loud for me.

I made a fist and felt myself get angry, "Damn you Lucca! I thought I told you to not use my voice...and you even modified it!"

"Do you accept the challenge?" Gato asked again.

"Damn right we do! Let's defeat the hell out of this thing, Marle!" I unsheathed my sword.

Marle giggled as she pulled up her crossbow and pulled back the bow string and loaded a bolt. "Do you like Lucca?"

"She's more like an annoying little sister that only bothers you when she wants something," I groaned. "Alright I'll focus on the front, you circle around it and try and hit other targets as they appear. Most of them have a limited time to hit it. If time runs out he'll automatically reset and we'll lose."

"Got it!" Marle confirmed and ran around Gato while keeping her distance.

However, I knew Lucca...and more than likely...

I jumped back just as Gato swung its fist down at me.

"I knew it," I grumbled and brought my sword up.

"Crono!"

"Don't worry just stick to it...its just Lucca's way of making it interesting," I said as I stepped in as Gato attacked again. I met the arm with my blade, stopping the attack and saw one of the targets appear on its left leg. I pushed the arm of Gato over me and slid away from it and then hit the target with the sword. It briefly glows red before disappearing. I also hear the sound of Marle's bolts hitting the back of Gato. But Gato stayed trained on me and continued to attack. Fortunately Gato is big and slow...just powerful. Gato tried to trap me so it could hit me but it didn't factor in Marle. And damn was she good...I'd call her a marksman. She missed a couple times but that came from not knowing how Gato moved than a lack of skill. She got better as the fight continued and before long we had hit all 10 targets and won.

"15 points you have won! Come on back and we'll have more fun!" Gato said in that annoying singsong voice that was a clear imitation of my own voice. I put the card for our silver points on Gato's chest terminal and registered the points.

I turned to Marle. "That brings us up to 25 points." As I said that Marle's bolts fell off of Gato.

"Hmm, I was wondering if I needed to pull them off him or something," Marle quickly gathered her bolts and inspected them. "I'm surprised it didn't ruin any of the bolts."

"I wish I had a chance to watch you. I've never really seen someone use a crossbow...and you seem to be really fast with it," I commented to which immediately made Marle smile.

"I wouldn't mind you watching me but I think its more fun fighting together...like a team," Marle said as she reloaded her crossbow. "Come on we need a lot more points so lets get to beating this robot."

I could tell it was going to take time to get used to her. But her smile had a way of making me want to see more of it...I wanted her to smile...and I found myself growing more and more comfortable with her being around. Fortunately we still had plenty of time of the day left to us.

* * *

"Alright! Final Silver Point count Crono!" Marle smiled as I took the last of our silver point winnings from Gato. I had lost count how many times we had fought the robot. I looked at the card.

"We have...155 silver points," I shook my head. "We fought him nine times...we definitely have more than enough."

"I haven't had so much fun in a long time," Marle said from next to me. I didn't realize she'd move so close to me. "You're an amazing swordsman, Crono. I bet you could give Guardia's Captain of the Guard a run for his money."

"I wouldn't want to be in a position where I needed to," I chuckled. "It isn't something I want to brag about, its just what I do to make money."

"Oh right, you said you were a hunter, right? Ever been a bodyguard?" Marle asked as we started walking away from Gato.

"No, but that was actually my next step. I can make more money for my Mom and I. It can be more dangerous as you have to deal with other people sometimes but I'm not worried about that aspect of it," I said rubbing the back of my head. It wasn't a subject I talked about...now that I think about it I rarely have an opportunity to talk to anyone anyway. I'm usually off working and hunting monsters than in town. The one I usually talk to is Fritz and his sister Elaine when I go to sell monster loot. Lucca was a terrible conversationalist, especially over the last month or so as she was focused on her invention. Her and I hadn't really connected or talked in a long time, I was beginning to wonder if she could be considered a friend at this point.

"Then...maybe one day you'll be my bodyguard," Marle said this in a softer tone than she had been talking in before.

I laughed, I couldn't help it. She gave me a questioning look and I just shook my head, "With the way I've seen you shoot? You are hardly in the need of protection."

"Well I can't carry my crossbow everywhere with me you know. My Dad only lets me use it because my Mom encouraged it. And well...my Mom's been gone a long time, but Dad wouldn't stop lessons of mine that my Mom wanted me to learn," Marle fidgeted with her bow that was hanging from her hip as we went back to the main area and over towards the tent.

"I'm sorry to hear that. My Father is gone, but I wouldn't know if he died or just went off somewhere," I shrugged but then stopped when I heard a noise. I looked over to see a familiar animal in the back behind a stall. "You again?"

"What is it Crono?" Marle moved next to me to look where I was. "Oh its a kitty...and a cute one at that."

"It's Rita, she's the tabby cat that belongs to a little girl named Hannah. A girl that is usually at my Mom's daycare," I knelt down and extended my hand towards the cat. The cat hesitated but slowly moved to me and after a moment I picked her up.

"She's sooo cute! Can I hold her?" Marle asked.

I shrugged, "Give her a moment she can be rather picky about people." Marle extended her hand towards Rita and let her sniff her before Rita jumped into Marle's hands.

"Okay Rita, you cutie. We're gonna go find Hannah now," Marle said.

"She's probably not far...Rita loses sight of Hannah and get scared and hides typically," I said as I continued to look around the area. And on the other side of the area behind a small set of stairs was Hannah. Marle and I approached her. "Hannah, I think you're missing someone."

"Here you go," Marle handed the tabby cat over to Hannah.

"Rita! Thank you, Crono and um...hey Crono who's the lady with you?" Hannah asked as she hugged Rita to her...who was also purring excessively in her arms.

"I'm Marle. A friend of Crono's," Marle introduced herself with a elegant smile.

"Just a friend?" Hannah eyed her, obviously not convinced of that answer.

"Hannah...aren't you supposed to be at the daycare today?" I interrupted.

"I...uh...well my Dad is running the Soda Guzzling competition and..." She started but was interrupted by another voice.

"Hey Crono, my Hannah not giving you trouble is she?" It was Alan, Hannah's Dad. I occasionally dealt with him if he needed specific supplies. Alan was actually a fur trader so he often went hunting as well but he only hunted specific animals.

"No, I just found Rita on the other side so I was returning her to Hannah," I commented and shook his hand.

"Seems like your always helping someone. Your a good kid, Crono. Tell you what how about a free shot at the Soda Guzzling contest? As long as you get at least 4 you'll walk away with some silver points," He grinned and looked to Marle. "I'm sure you and your date could use it to have fun."

Was he trying to be funny or something? I'm not quite sure I understand what he was getting at. "No we're fine on silver points. Actually we kinda need to take off we want to sneak in some games at the tent of horrors before Lucca's invention presentation starts."

"Well, don't let me hold you up then. Say goodbye to them, Hannah. And thank you," Alan nudged his daughter.

She gave a small bow, "Thank you, Crono and Marle, for bringing back Rita."

I nodded, "I will see you both later then."

I walked away heading towards the tent and I looked back to make sure Marle was following me...which she was she just had gotten quiet. She looked up at me for a moment.

"Hey Crono," she started.

"Everything alright?" I asked based more on her tone which had gone softer than it had been before.

"Huh? Oh yes! Everything is alright, better than that, its great. I've had a lot of fun with you. That's why I just wanted to tell you that I...really appreciate all our time together today," Marle was being rather serious which she hadn't been up til this point.

"What brought this on? Besides we still have a lot of day left you know," I said hoping to tease her a bit.

"I...you're right! But first we have to win the Crono doll!" she bounced in front of me and that smile that seemed to work its way into me was back. She grabbed my hand but seemed to be blushing a little bit...but maybe I was just imagining it. "Come on, Crono!"

"I'm coming, you don't have to pull so much," I said and couldn't help but smile too as she dragged me into the Tent of Horrors. I think this was what could be described as being swept up in the moment. We both barely knew each other...but we had such a great time with one another so far that it was slowly becoming...hmm whats a good word...intimate. Hannah might have suspected this when she saw us. And considering how Marle kept taking my hand and the general way it felt being with her...I would have to say I wasn't opposed to people getting the wrong idea about us. Or maybe it turning out not to be wrong at all. Marle was incredibly beautiful after all.

Inside the Tent of Horrors...as expected it was dark...and what looked to be a floating face and hands began to talk. Man...Bekkler is a weird old man.

"Welcome to Norstien Bekkler's lab. The spine tingling show is about to start! Now tell me, what is it that you two want to play?" he asked with a laugh.

"We want to play the copycat game!" Marle said. It wasn't until this moment that I realized she was still holding my hand. For now I would try not to call attention to it...she didn't seem like she wanted to let go.

"Let me guess, you want the Crono doll?" Bekkler lightly chuckled. "Alright this game is simple. First let me get the 40 silver points."

I pulled out the card and handed it to him. After a moment he handed it back, "So how is the game played?"

A snap of his finger and the gate at the end of the tent opened and what stepped out was...me? Bekkler grinned. "All you need to do is flawlessly copy your double and then the Crono doll will be yours. This is your game to play Crono."

"Right...one question though...why me?" I asked looking at him.

"Why do I have a doll of you, Crono? Don't worry...one day, I will tell you. But I think you should focus on just enjoying yourself. I'm sure that is also what the young lady you are with wants," Bekkler smiled and for some reason it made me okay with how things currently were. If he was going to explain it all later then that was fine.

Marle hesitated for a moment before stepping away from me, "Do your best, Crono. I'll cheer you on."

I looked towards my apparent double, "So I just mimic him?"

"He will go between certain actions. First we'll go over the different ones to look for. As long as you keep up with him you'll be fine. Okay, practice round..." Bekkler enticed as the game started.

Playing a game when you mimic someone is pretty hard in itself...especially typically it isn't a game and it is a thing you just do for theater. I only know that because Elaine, Fritz sister had asked me to help her...while she wants to help with the shop she also wants to be an actress. Or just try to get me to do stupid movements while claiming it to be for acting practice. Still it was definitely harder when you are looking at yourself. My mind just cant seem to make a disconnect that the person in front of me is not actually me. That was what really made it difficult. As much as it was a mental battle...I nearly completed it all but made a huge mistake at the end...it had deliberately threw out a tell that it was doing one thing and then quickly switched to something else.

However after spending another 40 points and Marle giving me a few words of encouragements and pointers...and damn does she have really good eyes...but I suppose she would given how good she wields a crossbow. Between the experience of the first loss and tips from Marle I perfectly mimicked my supposed 'double' the second time.

"Oh ho, nicely done Crono," Bekkler laughed as he came forward. "You have one the Crono doll. It's life size so I'm not sure you want to carry it around. I'll go ahead and have it delivered to your house, alright?"

"That's fine with me," I shrugged.

"Aw...I was hoping to hold it...but life size?" Marle pouted a little bit. "You'll take me to your house later today so I can see it right?"

I didn't mind but..."You want to come over to a strangers house?" I mean we weren't complete strangers now but shouldn't she be more cautious?

"A stranger?" Marle frowned and came up to me and poked my stomach. "After everything we've already done today you are calling me a stranger? Come on we worked together to get the doll of you. And we fought together and...I mean we're at least friends now. Crono! Are you trying to insult our time together!"

I put my hands up in mock surrender, "Sorry, I'm just not used to it." It was true...I hardly ever spent time with other people...I was often out by myself focusing on training or something else. Monster hunting was often a lonely affair as well. "I just want to make sure you've thought about it."

We left the tent of horrors and towards the courtyard. We wandered a bit as we talked.

"Crono, I meant what I said earlier. We've only known each other a few hours but you've been more honest with me than most people have been my whole life. We worked together as a team to achieve something...and you talk to me like an equal. And I feel like I know you based on just what I've seen you do in this short amount of time. I mean you try to sound annoyed by most of it but you care about the other people around you. Isn't that why you really became a monster hunter? And that's why you want to be a bodyguard?" Marle asked as we stopped near Leene's Bell.

I didn't say anything for a long moment, "You have very keen eyes, Marle. I imagine you are very good at judging peoples character."

"I have to be," she said simply looking up at Leene's Bell. I looked at her...and I felt there was something heavy that weighed down her words. She truly did appreciate her time with me...and it was obvious to me that I was not close to understanding exactly what that meant.

"Marle, I'm sorry if I insulted our time together. But it doesn't seem like you want to explain why it means so much to you either," I commented as she looked back at me. Our eyes met and I saw an even more depth of emotion there.

"That isn't it Crono...I want to tell you but..." Marle broker he gaze with me and looked to the ground. "Can you give me time to think about it? There could be consequences for both of us if I tell you the truth."

This definitely caught my attention, "Consequences?"

"Just tell me...we are friends now...right?" Marle asked.

There wasn't any doubt in my mind, "Friends and partners. We're a good team together, don't you think?"

Her solemn look was replaced by a big smile, "Definitely! Gato had no chance against us and that copycat game was a cinch! We've got a 100% success rate in goals achieved." She turned and without any warning pulled me into a hug. "Thank you, Crono. It's kinda funny...we met when ran into each other just before Leene's Bell rang. Then it was ringing when our eyes met. There is a bit of a legend when meeting under those circumstances you know."

"Hey...Crono? Who's this?" it was Keith. Marle had been around but hadn't been with me when I talked to Keith initially.

"Hey! I'm his partner, Marle," She broke the hug from me and gave a short bow to Keith. It was a blink and you'll miss it kind of moment because that bow was more like it came from an individual that had done so on a regular basis. I was probably reading too much into it. And what legend was she talking about related to Leene's Bell and meeting someone? It probably wasn't important.

"Partner?" Keith's eyes went from her to me. And then jumped to a different conclusion. "Since when did you get a girlfriend?"

I internally rolled my eyes at the words and choose to ignore it, "What do you want, Keith?" I guess it wasn't too outlandish as he had approached me after she had been hugging me and she probably looked really relaxed and natural with me. Plus that kind of conclusion I was okay with people assuming. Marle had the right to object if she wanted to. But she didn't, she just stayed next to me.

"Oh right. Their done setting up and started seating people for Lucca's invention. Since I saw you I thought I would let you know," Keith said.

"Thanks," I nodded.

"No prob, have fun with your date," Keith said as he walked away.

I watched him walk away, "Do we really look like we're on a date?"

"Hmm...well we've played a lot of games and we've been walking around together and...yeah I'm sure to an outsider it probably looks like we are," Marle had a grin on her face as she held her arms behind her back and playfully observing my face. "You also didn't tell him we weren't on a date either."

"I guess that's true," I said smiling back at her. I could play this game. "Maybe I just don't want to put a title on our relationship yet."

"Oooh, think you have a chance with me?" she said taking a step closer to me.

"You would know that best, wouldn't you?" I couldn't help but get drawn into this...what has undoubtedly turned into a flirt session. Then again I wasn't exactly well versed in this kind of thing but I really couldn't help myself with Marle. Plus her pale emerald eyes made it that much more difficult to look away. They just had a way of enticing me to get closer...as if they were drawing me to her.

"That...I most certainly do," she said and bit her lip as she stepped away from me. "Come on Crono. I want to go grab some candy before we go see Lucca's invention."

She was most certainly holding back information on this subject. Still we had plenty of day left. I followed behind her to the candy stall as she looked over the many options.

"Oo...how about some cotton candy...wait is that strawberry or bubblegum? I'm not sure I've had bubblegum...oh but what about the white one whats that? Lime? That sounds good...yeah I'll take some of that...and some popcorn too," Marle was talking with the stall owner and as soon as she was done handed over the gold for the purchase and then turned back to me. "Thanks for waiting. Now come on, we need a good seat!"

We made our way to the main stage and as it came into view I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by what we saw. Not one but two identical devices sat on different sides of the stage. And Lucca looked like she was still tinkering on one of them. Marle immediately dragged me into the front row of seats and eagerly sat down.

"Calm down, Marle. It isn't going anywhere," I couldn't help but chuckle.

"But aren't you excited? You're friend made this, its amazing," Marle said staring at the devices on stage. They were pretty big...big enough for people to stand on the strange pad portion of the device. I was getting an odd feeling looking at it.

"Yeah...my friend," I said somewhat bitterly. I wonder if you can say that about someone you don't even really talk to anymore. Speaking of, it turns out Lucca had finished whatever she had been doing and spotted me...she ran over to me where Marle and I were sitting.

"Crono! I was wondering if you would be here to show up. So what do you think?" Lucca proudly pointed to her devices.

"So this is why I haven't seen you in like six months?" I couldn't hide the fact that I was a bit sour about it from my voice. It made Lucca falter for a moment. But she quickly shook it off.

"It'll be worth it, I promise," she said somewhat softly. "I ran into some dead ends along the way but my theory is sound so I know it will work."

"You...haven't tried it yet?" I was now concerned.

"Don't be ridiculous...of course I have. And little Shia is just fine," Lucca said dismissively.

"Shia! You aren't supposed to use my cat you know!" I felt myself incredibly alarmed now.

"You weren't around to ask and your Mom said it was fine. Besides it more than worked out. And I made it worth Shia's time," Lucca crossed her arms.

"So not only you used my cat as a guinea pig you bribed her?" I shook my head...sometimes I could hardly believe what Lucca did.

"Crono, you have a cat?" Marle asked from next to me...who up to this point had simply been observing the two of us.

"Yeah a high and mighty pretentious orange cat named Shia," I muttered. "You'll be able to see her later when we go by the house."

"Awesome, I can't wait," Marle smiled.

"Wait...Crono...who's this?" Lucca asked as if she hadn't realized she was there...how very much like Lucca. She only ever saw what she was focused on.

"This is Marle, a friend I met while enjoying the fair," I said simply.

"And his partner," Marle added and grabbed my arm while extending her other hand out to Lucca. "I've heard a little bit about you Lucca. I heard your an awesome inventor."

For some reason the air between the two of them felt a bit tense. Maybe it was my imagination. Either way the place was starting to fill up with people.

"Looks like we're just about ready to start. After this is over you'll have to tell me how you managed to pick up such a cutie like her, Crono," Lucca said as she moved back towards the stage area.

"So now I picked her up?" I muttered under my breath. "Is it really so odd for me to be walking around with a girl?"

"Says the guy who just a moment ago wouldn't mind if people got that misunderstanding," Marle teased while still holding on to my arm. "Ooo there gonna start!"

Of course the one to start the announcing was Lucca's Dad, Taban. He was in his usual blue pants and green shirt that he almost always had on. "Ladies and Gentlemen, today we are going to show you a wonder of science! A sneak peek on what the future might hold in store for all of us! We are going to show you the hyper-dimensional transporter, the invention of the century! And its a simple idea. Step onto one telepod and you'll appear at the other! The possibilities could revolutionize the way we move in our world!" Taban then took a step towards the crowd. "This fantastic machine is the masterwork of my beautiful and brilliant daughter, Lucca!"

Lucca came onto the stage and I couldn't help but realize just how long it had been since I really saw her. She still kept her plum colored hair relatively short...often citing that it always got in her way. Not that it mattered she always had that green helmet that for some reason had an antenna on it and something like a microphone or something...she had on a long sleeved dark teal-green shirt with an orange tunic on top of it and underneath she had her usual black shorts. She had socks that were the same color as her long sleeved shirt and then dark brown boots. Then she was wearing her dark yellow scarf and her brown belt that also had her small brown bag which mostly held tools. She pushed up her glasses, "Today I'm going to show you not only that it works but that it is completely safe for anyone to use. To do that I want to ask you, the audience for a volunteer!"

Her declaration was only answered by silence...everyone was looking around to see if anyone would do it. Well I figured this would happen...and despite how irritated I was that I hadn't really heard from her at all in six months, I got to my feet. Everyone seemed relieved that someone had volunteered and many began to clap.

"This kinda looks fun. I want to try it after you," Marle said as she got up as well. The two of us went on stage.

"Thanks a lot, Crono," Lucca said as she moved towards me. "And Marle, you too."

Marle nodded, "Now come on I want to see this thing work!"

"Alright Crono if you just come over to the left telepod," Lucca said motioning for me to follow. She brought me to the one on the left and I passed her and stood on the telepod.

"Do I need to do anything?" I asked Lucca.

She shook her head, "Not a thing."

"System Activated," Taban said as he was pushing some thing on the terminal as Lucca moved to the other pod.

"Everything good here! Initiating energy transfer!" Lucca yelled from the other.

I heard something get louder and I saw a blue light...then it blinded me. I'm not sure what happened but when I regained my sight I was no longer standing where I was. It was Taban that was next to me at the terminal...it was Lucca...and I was standing at the right telepod.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause...I stepped down from the telepod somewhat confused. Marle was already running up to me.

"Oh my goodness, Crono! You were standing over there and then you turned into this like pretty blue light...its kinda like the color of your eyes and then it went and zoomed over to the other pod and you were there. That was amazing...but I was also kinda scared you would disappear and not come back but glad that didn't happen...but still that was awesome! I definitely have to try it now," Marle was talking at about a mile a minute but her voice settled the confusion in my mind and made me smile.

"Impressive, Lucca. Just don't try to explain to me how it works because I'll never get it," I said as Lucca came over to us.

"Lucca, it's my turn! Look I'll go get into place!" Marle eagerly rushed over to the other pod.

"She's...got a lot of energy," Lucca giggled. Then looked to me, "How have you managed to keep up with her?"

I shrugged, "I have no idea." I moved back but stayed in view of Marle and watched as she looked super excited to be apart of it. It was an amazing technology, there was no doubt about that. I'm still not sure how it happened but to me it felt almost instantaneous and not only that but everything on me, clothes, weapons, my headband, everything was on me that I started with...this was more than an amazing breakthrough...this would likely shape the future of Guardia.

"Hey Crono, don't run off on me while I'm teleporting," she winked at me. I couldn't help but laugh.

"We still have a lot left to do you know," I chuckled.

"Alright, Lucca! I'm ready," Marle said giving her the thumbs up to start.

"Okay everyone! Let's give her a hand when she reappears," Taban said to the crowd. He turned to the panel, "System activated." The machine could be heard revving up.

"Alright, initiating energy transfer!" Lucca stated as she worked the other terminal on the other pod.

Energy started swirling around Marle...but something in me screamed in alarm...I could tell something was wrong. Then I saw it...Marle's pendent was glowing...it was pulsing with its own energy. Instinctively I called out to Lucca. "No! Shut it down!" I yelled. But it was too late...electricity arced from both machines forcing both Taban and Lucca to be thrown back. "Marle!"

"What...what's going on?" Marle looked at me in a panic as she was slowly being turned to that blue energy that she had described happening to me. "No...I...Crono...CRONO!"

Then she was turned completely to energy...but something even more crazy happened...something opened. I don't know how to describe it...but a large hole appeared between the two devices...something that opened up into a void and Marle's energy went inside it and she reformed. I took a step forward and then another and another until I was sprinting...I jumped towards the hole...but it disappeared. "MARLE!" Quickly I turned to Lucca. "Lucca...what just hap..."

Lucca held up her hand to cut me off as she approached me, "Wait."

"Thanks everyone for coming to the demonstration, we hoped you enjoyed our little performance at the end and hope to have another showing of our invention as the fair goes on, Thank you all." Taban was easing the crowd as Keith and Hank were ushering people out of the main stage area.

Lucca was rubbing her chin while in deep thought, "The way she disappeared...it couldn't have been the telepod. And that rift that appeared...and if I saw it right her pendent had reacted to the device...is it possible?"

Word of her pendent had me scrambling to the left telepod where Marle had been. I looked around...and sure enough...her pendent was on the ground. Looked like the clasp had gotten loose as a result. Was it possible to follow her? I picked it up and turned to find myself looking at Lucca.

"What are you thinking Crono?" Lucca asked.

There really wasn't a choice for me...there was no telling what might have happened to her. I was in no way going to just abandon her. I wanted her to be there and see what we won together...what we had both achieved. It might be something silly but...this was important. "I have to go after her. I'll do it the same way she did."

"I figured you would," Lucca shook her head. "You know that girl looked familiar...but she said her name was Marle..."

"Going after her?" Taban asked me as he walked over and saw me holding the pendent.

I nodded, "Yeah, let my Mom know I might not be back for a while."

Taban laughed, "Don't worry, Gina's a tough woman and she knows you're tough too. Just go bring that girl back."

"That's the plan," I said as I stepped onto the telepod.

Lucca moved over to me, "Crono, I'm sorry I've been so wrapped up in this experiment and now...its put someone in danger. I don't like sending you like this but we can't waste time. After you're through I'll try and figure out what happened...but make sure you hold tight to that pendent, it might be your only way back to wherever it takes you."

"Thanks, Lucca. And hey...maybe we could actually spend some time together after all this instead of having to wait till you're free. Don't let us be strangers anymore," I said not realizing how much it had affected me. "But right now I need to find Marle."

"Got it, let's do this," Lucca ran over to the other terminal.

"System activated!" Taban yelled.

"Initiating energy transfer," Lucca yelled.

I held onto the pendent as I couldn't help but think about the strange day it had been. I had only met her today...had been with her for several hours...in that time we ran into each other as Leene's Bell had been ringing and then we talked and she asked if I would show her around. Then since we had time before the beginning of Lucca's invention would be showcased we made a goal of getting one of the prizes at the tent of horrors. We gathered a bunch of silver points by playing a lot of games but mostly fighting Gato...in which we had to work as a team to effectively beat. And we worked really well together...and we only got better each time we fought...to the point that we fought him 9 times before finally stopping to try our hand at the tent of horrors. And we succeeded in getting our prize as a team...her keen eyes were able to give me hints I needed to beat it on only my second attempt.

I felt it starting to change me...both machines did the same thing as before...and the hole appeared to me...no. This wasn't a hole...it was a gate. The girl I had met today had passed through this gate...and now I had to follow. I didn't want my relationship to end with her like this. And I wouldn't let it. I was surrounded in blue and then the next moment I was inside the Gate as it was slowly closing. I could see Lucca looking at me. But whatever she said I couldn't hear and the Gate closed and I began to fall.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Chrono Trigger is most likely the game that most influenced my life. It came at a time of my life that I really needed it. I sunk countless hours playing the game over and over...digging for every ending, every item and every variant character interaction I could get. To this day it is probably the only game I can say I have 100% completed in nearly every way possible. So that is actually why I never wrote Fan Fiction for it. It had been so integral to a very hard time in my life I wasn't sure I wanted to approach it. But then as I was sitting around and struggling to write on my other projects...I just started writing. Chrono Trigger recently had its anniversary, which is why it had sparked for me. Because I realized there was one aspect of the game I wanted to elaborate more on. The relationships between the characters and the world.**

 **Let me point out that I enjoy the pace of Chrono Trigger and how it approaches its narrative. For the most part it comes at you fast, and to begin with you are reacting to the events that are out of your control. Marle being pulled into a Gate, to a different time, is a fixed event...you can't stop it from happening. So Crono runs off to save her. From there one there are many surprises...you are unexpectedly dealt consequences for the actions you take when you meet Marle. One of the coolest narrative parts in the game. And the game doesn't let up. And while you do get to learn more about the characters as you go along...there are a few things that by the end of the game...I really wanted to address.**

 **The end of the game heavily insinuates the relationship between Crono and Marle pretty hard, right from the beginning. But as Crono is the player...your reaction and growth with her is never really explored. Most relationships to Crono are naturally ambiguous as is the nature of having a silent protagonist. But relationships are pretty much set in stone...so there were moments I wanted the game to take to maybe just give us more interaction and learn why Marle grew attached and eventually fell in love with Crono.**

 **So...I had to give Crono a background and a personality to match. I think this is probably the part where people will like, or dislike this fan fiction. Because Crono is a silent protagonist...everyone who has played it has their own image of how Crono should be. I'm no different, but I also wanted to explore Crono's background a bit more...so I'll start there. We know that Crono has a Mom named Gina (you can find this out from some of the other NPC's) you also know that for whatever reason...Crono's Dad is either missing or dead. It is never alluded to which way is true. So for now...I will leave that fact ambiguous. Also his only childhood friend...who is called such is Lucca. So while I've given him a couple of other friends in this story...she is the only one he considers to be his childhood friend. But there is tension here. In order for Lucca to be as smart as she is, and be able to make the inventions she has and does at her age...that means she has not actually been the greatest of friends. Likely forgetting play dates, or his birthday, or suddenly going home or various other things. I want to create some believable relationships as this story goes forward. As Crono is no longer silent this will inherently change events that occur along the way. Some just slightly...but others much more significantly.**

 **I'm not sure how often this will be updated at the moment. (Schedule for writing projects is pretty tight right now) But I'm aiming for at least once a month. To compensate the chapters should be pretty meaty...about 10k to 15k word count in length. So anyway I hope you enjoy this start and that you look forward to more. If you have any suggestions or want to tell me what you would like to see along the way, leave me a review and let me know. Thanks for your time. See you next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 / Princess Nadia**

For a moment I felt like I was falling...but in this strange void I never felt like I was in a complete free fall...more like I was being led to a specific destination. And then I could finally make something out...like a hole that had appeared before and I was propelled towards it. I tumbled out and jumped up to my feet and put my hand on the hilt of my katana. I turned to see that the gate I had come out of, had closed...it was no where to be found.

"Marle?" I called out as I took in my surroundings. Was this on a mountain, or a hill? Either way the trees around me were colored orange and red...indications of it being in the fall...and I could feel a coolness in the air. It certainly wasn't the warmer temperatures like back home. So this had to be a completely different place I certainly didn't remember a place like this. Then the trees around began to rustle. "Who's there?"

"Seems like this human has wandered a ways off from its home," it was an Imp...and not only an Imp but a blue Imp. I had heard of them...they lived in the Mystic village on the other continent but Mystics and Humans rarely interacted with each other due to their differences. And just a long standing bitterness leftover from the war with the Mystics. "I guess its our job to be accommodating."

Two other Blue Imps came from either side of me. I guess this was going to be one of those kind of fights. Either way...I pulled out my katana and readied it...they barely registered the fact that I had a weapon. The one to my right made the first move, deciding to throw a rock at me, but it was done simply in order to get me to move. I was ready though and took a step back, letting the stone pass by me harmlessly as another one of the Imps charged at me. I quickly side stepped and flipped around to kick the imp away and then came swinging at the last Imp who failed to realize the attack would be coming at him so quickly. He jumped back but I still cut the front of him.

"You're surprisingly skilled, human," the Imp legitimately seemed impressed.

"Leave now, or next time I'll strike to kill," I said as all three imps took a step back. Every second was a time wasted that I should be finding Marle. And if imps had attacked me...then Marle might be in serious trouble. Though to be honest she was incredibly tough and deadly with her crossbow, so whoever decided to give her trouble was going to have issues. As long as nothing had happened in the interim.

"Hey...is it really worth it?" one of the imps asked the apparent leader.

"Alright...well you've impressed me, human. What is your name?" the blue imp asked.

"Crono," I said simply.

"I will remember that name," The blue imp said as the three of them disappeared back into the woods. Was the blue imp impressed or something? Well...it wasn't like I knew much about the mystics or imps anyway. Maybe they had an odd code of honor or something.

I sighed and sheathed my sword. So I wasn't in a place of safety...but what about Marle? It was a good thing she had her crossbow with her when she went through the gate herself. Anyone that tried to give her trouble was going to get more than they bargained for. Still, I needed to find her...but first getting out of this area would be first priority. Then establishing where I was...if it was even possible for me to do so. If there were Mystics here...had Marle and I simply just jumped to a different continent? Or was this a different place altogether? Only one way to really find out. And no reason to stick around here.

There was only one real path out of here as this place seemed like a cleared out area that someone could camp out at. Still I should probably remember this place just in case I need to go back to it. I remained cautious as I moved forward and saw a small waterfall and river...and a bridge ahead of me. As I approached the bridge I could tell it had been worn...it looked like it hadn't seen maintenance in a while. And down below...I could see more Imps...but this bridge was definitely human construction. Why were there Mystics here? Had they invaded human territory or something? Or maybe they were planning to. Either way I saw a clear path. It was probably best if I avoided contact...and going across the bridge would definitely call attention to myself. Instead, I scaled down along the trees. Sure it was a little difficult to do so while attempting not to make any noise but there was no benefit to making a big ruckus and getting into a fight unnecessarily.

It took me a while, not sure how long, but I managed to scale down and leave what was apparently a mountain as I walked away. Thankfully I noticed that there was a town within walking distance. And maybe it was my imagination but the terrain seemed familiar...but it was definitely different. I noticed that the Mystics had not been there very long...as a matter of fact they didn't seem very organized so more than likely they were vagabonds and unlikely an advanced vanguard unit. Plus the mountain seemed too remote and hardly strategic for a Mystic stronghold. And judging by the fireplace...there had actually been humans there within the week.

The long walk gave me time to think...Marle wasn't defenseless, so if she had arrived here, I had to imagine she managed to escape the mountain and more than likely would have headed to the city...it would have been the smart thing to do. Plus Marle had more keen eyes than I did...it had been evident in just the small amount of time I had spent with her. Marle...she is an amazingly beautiful young woman...it wasn't only just that though. She definitely seemed to be well educated...she was just a bit sheltered. And now she was thrown out here...in the middle of an unknown place, on her own. I had her pendant with me, I looked down at it in my hand...just what was with this pendant that was able to do what it did? I stuffed it back into my bag as I was approaching the town. I noticed the building that was clearly labeled as tavern on the far side. There were also several soldiers around the tavern. They gave me an odd look but left me alone...the thing was...the armor they wore...it was a lot like the Guardia kingdom...but from hundreds of years ago. I shook my head...I shouldn't jump to conclusions. I was more surprised I remembered anything from Mom's history lessons.

Still despite the looks I made my way in to the tavern. It seemed like a full house for tonight. I moved over to a free chair on a back table and tried to listen in on the conversations going on. The less attention I brought to myself the better.

"Did you hear? Looks like Zenan Bridge got destroyed, so now we can't even access the southern continent," one of the patrons said.

"Well we are at war...I heard Magus' main general attacked the bridge and that we took it out ourselves so we can prepare a counter attack," another said.

"Wait we took out our own bridge? But we have family over there!" the first patron got irritated. "Just what is the Guardia family doing?"

"Hey, don't speak about things you don't know anything about," One of the guards that was apparently off duty said as he put down his drink.

"Then what have you been doing?" the patron boldly replied.

"Are you daft? The Queen had been kidnapped, all military operations were put on hold to search for her," The Guard replied.

"Huh?" the other Patron started. "But I heard they found someone in the mountains and that she was the queen."

"I heard she wasn't wearing something the Queen usually wore so that seems a bit odd to me," the first Patron stated.

"Well it had to be the Queen because they called off the search. Either way we'll be repairing the bridge soon to make a charge at the Mystic army," the guard said dismissively and returned to his drink. I had heard more than enough.

I quickly excused myself and left the tavern. I couldn't believe what I had heard...this WAS Guardia kingdom...but during the war with the Mystics and their enigmatic leader named Magus. I remembered reading about this. But wait...Queen Leene was found at...the Cathedral...not the mountains. That was definitely a problem. Wait...so this had to be...around 600AD...had I...gone back in time? That explained why things felt the same geography wise but was still different. But why was there a claim they had found the Queen in the mountains? And one of the patrons had said she wore odd clothing...I needed to confirm this...that meant going to Guardia castle.

Still then, this meant that I was in Truce village...of around 600AD...400 years ago. Eesh...just what kind of crazy was I in here? Either way I set out towards the castle, which could easily be seen from the main road in Truce. The forest that led up to the castle was used as a natural defense that in my opinion was a double edged sword as Truce was very close to the Castle, it was more likely the town would be destroyed if only to draw out the soldiers of the castle. The castle itself was build on top of a mountain and had been forcibly flattened to build upon it. It must have been a lot of work when the castle originally went up. I made my way to the castle through the path of the forest...which was nearly identical to the path in the present. I did have to kill a few monsters along the way but nothing major or remotely dangerous.

I stared at the castle door and took a deep breath. I had a feeling I knew what I would find out...but that also worried me. I pushed the large door opened and entered the Entrance Hall of the castle. I closed the door behind me as two guards quickly approached me. Though honestly wouldn't it make more sense to station the guards on the outside of the door?

"Halt! Who goes there?" The first Guard approached me and looked at my clothing. "I have not seen your face before. And those clothes are quite outlandish. Wouldn't be an agent of the Fiendlord, would we?"

"Do Fiendlord agents make a habit of strolling through the front door of an enemy castle?" I countered.

"Heh, he wouldn't make the cut even if he was. This boy isn't build to lift a sword, let alone serve in the Fiendlord's army," the other Guard decided to taunt me. I'll give it to these guys though...my outfit would seem odd and my hair style and crimson hair color definitely stood out. Most people didn't have spikey red hair. I wouldn't let me in to the castle either if I was in their position.

"I suppose you're right. Run along kid or we'll have to lock you up in the..."

"Stop that at once!" a voice of authority rang through the Entrance Hall as another individual appeared.

I looked to the source and found myself unable to do anything. The woman who had appeared was gorgeous...no, beautiful beyond words and it was almost as if she alone illuminated the entire hall. As if she were the only source of light in a world of darkness. She wore a shimmering white-green dress and walked with an elegance befitting of someone of royalty...I didn't realize till a moment later that I had been holding my breath.

"That man, is a friend of mine and you will treat him as such," she said and locked eyes with me.

No...it couldn't be...but there was also no other solution...there was nothing else it could be. I decided it was best to say nothing and try and soak up as much information as possible.

"But, Your Majesty, there is something strange about the way he looks," The first guard protested.

She glared at him, "Are you refusing to obey my orders?" The command in her voice clearly showed a tone of authority...not just anyone would so easily sound that way.

He quickly shook his head and bowed to her, "No of course not! Forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Thank you," she looked at me. "Come to my quarters later, but feel free to look around the castle." Without another word she turned and left. But I could never mistake that smile of hers...It was definitely her...Marle. If that was the case then...it would only make sense she could be mistaken for the Queen. That meant that Marle was not her real name.

No I couldn't waste time, I ran up the stairs after her and saw as she disappeared off to a right hallway. But I stopped when I realized I was in the throne room and the King was on his throne. I stopped and bowed.

"Rise...you are the one named Crono I assume. Queen Leene said it was you that rescued her. Although..." He shook his head.

"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" I pressed.

"Its just Leene always had a hair pin with the Guardia family crest...she always wore it and now she claims to have lost it but she does not seemed concerned about it," The King did sound quite confused...and no doubt Marle's personality was something quite different as well. But his concern meant that Leene would have never been caught without it. A treasured possession...much like Marle's pendant no doubt.

"I wouldn't worry, Your Majesty. She is more than likely just glad to be safe again," I said in a comforting tone. What bothered me was the man next to the king...who seemed to grumble something under his breath before walking off. Judging by what he wore...he was more than likely the Chancellor. "If you'll excuse me, Your Highness. The Queen wished to see me."

"Ah, yes of course. She more than likely wishes to thank you. Please, as a way of thanks, make yourself at home within the castle," The King smiled as I got up to my feet and off to the hallway where I had seen Marle disappear to.

I made my way up the stairs all the way to the top. I didn't take time to look at anything as I had a clear objective. I came to the top floor and a guard stood blocking the door. I approached him, "I'm here to see her Majesty. She's expecting me."

"Ah you must be Sir Crono," he nodded. "She has permitted you entry, but please do not linger, Her Majesty needs time to rest."

I nodded as he moved out of the way and allowed me to pass. I walked down the hall but I could feel my heart pounding a mile a minute just by the implications this all meant. Things were incredibly messed up. I walked into the room of the Queen. She looked at me and turned to her handmaidens

"Please leave us. I need to have a word with this man in private," the Queen instructed. The handmaidens bowed and then moved passed me...only giving me a glance before disappearing out into the hallway and the door closed behind them. "Come closer, don't be shy."

I moved up next to her, "Are you having fun, Marle?"

She giggled, "You knew right away didn't you?"

"Not right away...but I..." I stopped for a moment and considered my words. "Only you smile that way."

She smiled with her cheeks visibly changing to a shade of red, "We barely know each other but somehow...I knew you would come for me. I just didn't imagine things would happen like this." The smile faded as she let out a long sigh. "I suppose this means you figured out who I really am and how I was able to be mistaken for the Queen."

Of course...and the answer explained a lot of things. "You're Princess Nadia Guardia...the ever protected and kept from the eye of the Kingdom. The King has been super protective of you since your Mother died," I said softly. It both explained how she was able to walk around freely without being recognized and look a lot like her ancestor. Of course...this was now causing another problem. Hardly a problem you would ever expect to have.

She nodded, "You know quite a lot don't you? Father protects me for the sake of the Guardia line...but there has actually been several times the family line came close to ending. Though my Father has been prone to paranoia since Mom died."

"Like right now. They are convinced you are Queen Leene...and because of that they canceled the search for her," I said looking at her. "Look...Your...Maj..."

She stepped forward and put her hand on my mouth. She knew what I had intended to say...but she wanted nothing to do with it. "No," she said angrily and I could see it clearly in her pale emerald eyes. "Don't you dare do that. We're friends, partners...equals. You are the one person in the world I never want to have bowing to me. To you...I am Nadia...or Marle. Well when we are alone you can call me Nadia but when were out and about..." She trailed off. I guess when it was just us it would be Nadia...but she didn't want to let on that she was the princess to others.

I gently moved her hand, "Nadia...I'm sorry." So don't call her 'Your Majesty' or she gets mad. Well...I didn't know her very well yet but I wanted too. But one thing at a time.

"I've have enough servants and guards...and even though I didn't tell you the truth...you were still the first person that made me feel like an equal...that made me feel like I was...that I mattered as more than just something to be pampered," she said in a whisper as she moved towards me and placed her head on my shoulder. "Oh, Crono...what are we going to do? I can't convince them I'm not Leene and there is no way I'll be able to leave the castle like this. Maybe if you found Leene then we could...I..." She then fully collapsed into me, but something felt off. "Crono...I feel...something is wrong...it's like...it hurts! Crono!"

"Nadia," I turned her to take a look at her but I saw a look of pain and terror in her eyes.

"Crono," her voice came as a whisper as I brought her over to the bed and picked her up to place her onto it. "I think...I'm dying...like something is..."

Then right before my eyes she simply...disappeared into some odd green aura. I got to my feet and took a deep breath. "Nadia..." The only immediate thought was that because the search got called off...the real Leene died and was never found. Because of that Nadia's ancestors were never born...and so she and all of family in between had simply...disappeared. But if I still had my memories of her...did that mean I still had time? In history...Leene was found at the Cathedral by a knight of this kingdom. All I had to do was go and bring back Leene...that should correct the time line. This was a lot of assumptions to make, but I know I had no time to sit and think about it. I needed to act.

I quickly left the room. and ran into the Handmaidens and Knight talking.

"Ah have you finished talking with the Queen?" the knight asked as he saw me.

"Yes but she wished to be left alone. Apparently she is quite worn out," I replied as naturally as I could.

He nodded, "I understand. Thank you for visiting with her, I'm sure she will be quite more relaxed now."

I didn't linger and made my way to the stairs and starting heading down them...but was surprised immediately as someone I actually knew was coming up them.

"Crono! We have a problem," it was Lucca. I knew that much but I noticed a nearby door and as soon as she got close to me I grabbed her and pulled her into the side room that seemed to be for storage. "Crono...what's wrong...I know that look."

"Marle...she disappeared," I couldn't think of any other way to describe it.

"I see...I thought that might happen...I had hoped to find you before then to warn you but..." Lucca put a hand on my shoulder. "We still have time to fix this Crono. I assume you pieced together who she really is."

"Yeah, She's Princess Nadia," I said simply.

"Yeah, history was altered when they called off the search. But according to the history books she wasn't found for a few more days from now. We still have time to save the Queen. But we have a limited window or we won't be able to change it back," Lucca was torn between wanting to comfort me and pushing us forward. "But I also...just wanted to say I'm sorry...for just disappearing on you while I was so absorbed in my work...your an important friend and..."

"I know, Lucca. You don't have to tell me that. I just want you to put down your screwdriver every once in a while and remember that you have more in your life than just your inventions. Look, we don't have time for that. We're heading to the Cathedral and saving Leene. As long as I can still remember Marle then it isn't too late," I said moving past her and out of the storage room. There was no time to waste. I had to save her...I just had to.

* * *

We entered the Cathedral and I immediately felt like something was wrong. There were a few Nun's that seemed to be in prayer as we walked forward. "This can't be all there is to the Cathedral," I said as I looked around. And yet there didn't appear to be anything...no door...no passage...no nothing.

"If I had some of my equipment I could have done a structural scan to get a basic layout but for now..." Lucca shook her head as we made our way towards the front.

As we did I noticed something shining on the ground...I took a few steps and leaned down towards it...it was a hairpin? I picked it up, there was no doubt what this was...it had the Guardia royal crest. "This is Queen Leene's hairpin."

"The Guardia Royal Crest?" Lucca looked to me.

I nodded, "Yeah the King told me it was something she always had with her. So the only question is..." I looked up to see that the four Nun's were now standing in front of us...and a very threatening manner. I finally figured out what it was that was wrong. "And what exactly are you?"

The four nuns instead erupted into an odd colored flame and what appeared were four creatures. I knew what they were...Naga's. Mystics that had the lower half of a snake and upper of that of a woman. And they moved fast. They came charging in at both of us, I quickly drew my katana and slashed the two that came at me. One slid under my blade but I caught the other in the arm. It caused her to hang up for a moment to which I took advantage of by kicking her to one side and quickly rounding my sword around and cleanly chopped off her head. They weren't going to show us any mercy and I was done playing nice at this point. The death of their comrade did nothing to slow them, nor did they even seem to register it.

Lucca was more than handling herself...I wasn't worried, I knew that despite how often she put her heads in books or inventions she kept herself in shape and knew how to fight. She carried with her two weapons...one a hammer and her other a gun of her own design. I turned to see her as she knocked one back with her hammer and then shot it between its eyes with her gun, killing the Naga quickly. I turned as one of the Naga's came back at me, I allowed myself to fall backwards to avoid the attack and used one hand to catch myself and flip onto my feet. Then I sprang forward and cut off both of the Naga's arms before turning back around and stabbing her through the chest. I pulled out the blade and pushed the now dead Naga to the floor. I looked back to Lucca as I saw her put four or five bullets into the Naga causing the half snake to collapse to the ground. Then Lucca walked up and hit the Naga hard with her hammer. She certainly hadn't lost her tenacity when it came to fighting.

"Wasn't expecting that," Lucca sighed as she looked around.

Then something fell behind her from the ceiling, "Lucca!"

However, in the same instance as this Naga had gotten the drop on Lucca...another individual came from seemingly nowhere and cut the Naga in half. As the last Naga died all of them erupted into that odd flame as before...and left nothing behind. Lucca moved away and came next to me as we turned to the new individual and it was...a frog?

"Lower your guard and you will allow the enemy in," he said clearly as he sheathed his sword. "To what purpose do you come here?"

"To save Queen Leene," I said simply. I had to imagine that this was the knight that had saved the Queen. He had also been referred to as the cursed knight...one who technically had never been a knight but had been a stalwart defender of Guardia and the Queen. And that he had been cursed by the Fiendlord Magus himself. His appearance definitely confirmed that.

"So you've determined that she must be here as well?" he asked.

I nodded, "I have my suspicions that the chancellor may be behind this."

"Yes, I sensed something was off with him before the Queen disappeared. Either way the one responsible is further within, perhaps you would accompany me?" the frog asked. I should probably note that this 'frog' was the size of a man and seemed more than capable of holding his own with a sword...as he was using a broadsword...a double sided edge. Any sword with double edge blades were by nature harder to use.

"Crono...it's a giant talking frog," Lucca whispered and tugging on my arm. I had forgotten that Lucca wasn't that good when it came to small creatures...and frogs specifically.

"I suppose it would be hard to trust me...looking as I do. However...this form serves to remind me of past failures...and suitable to one such as I. Still I would ask you to come with me, for I know not the danger that may lurk inside," the frog said and I nodded.

"No its a good idea...but our problem comes from we need a way to move forward. As we are we know there has to be a secret door but how do we move past it," I shook my head as I walked over to the organ piano.

"I'm sorry...its not that I don't trust you...I just have an aversion to frogs...so what should we call you?" Lucca was still somewhat attached to my arm at the moment.

"My name is not one that I use any more for personal reasons. Frog will suffice as a name, and what Her Majesty likes to call me. I apologize if it implies I do not trust you...however my real name is just another reminder of my failure. But this is why we must make haste. No doubt there must be a key to a secret passage within this chapel. Let us search every corner," Frog said as he quickly went to search around us.

"Crono..." Lucca let out a sigh from next to me. "Do you think that he's..."

"Yeah...he's more than likely the cursed knight that went against Magus. Who he was and how he was cursed was never really documented," I said as I was looking at the organ piano. There were sheets of music but one stood out to me...It was normal music...but three notes in particular were circled. "No...it couldn't be that simple."

"For Mystics? Sometimes the simpler the better," Lucca commented from next to me.

There was no harm in trying either way. I put my hands on the piano and played the three notes. Something clicked and then we watched as the wall on the far right slid out of the way revealing a door. "Pretty complex for Mystics...isn't it?"

"It does seem odd they are capable of this in this time period...but we have little recorded about Mystic technology to begin with. I'm more concerned about how they've managed to infiltrate Guardia so close to the castle," Lucca noted.

"Good work, but we should not linger. Let us continue, the Queen's life is still in danger," Frog said as he made his way to the door...I couldn't agree more. The faster they got to the Queen...that meant Marle could be saved. Entering the secret door was a hallway and at the end we saw Mystics standing around. More Naga's...had they not heard the commotion from before?

"How should we approach this? If we cause too much ruckus we could put the Queen's life in danger," I said looking to Frog.

He nodded, "Indeed, first we must ensure the Queen is safe. Let us wait and see what these Mystics wait for."

We ducked along the side of the hallway and waited to see if they would move. Eventually they did and we made our way down the hall and through another door. This area had a few different doors...it would be too obvious to head forward to the larger door at the top of the staircase...but it was being guarded.

"Alright...now what?" Lucca whispered.

"Let's check the side rooms...we might be able to confirm that the queen is here," I said back in a soft tone. Frog and Lucca nodded in agreement as we snuck past another Mystic...this one was a gargoyle. There certainly was a good variety of them. Mystics was a term that didn't necessarily mean any one race but instead a collection of races that tended to be magical in origin. But magic itself had been lost to humanity for quite some time...although there are stories of humans that once used it. Sneaking past Mystics turned out to be easier than I thought considering they were quite loud. We moved up a different pair of stairs and made our way over to the most conspicuous of doors...it was a door that had spikes around it to prevent entry...or exit. But there was a switch next to the door. I flipped it and the spikes disappeared. It was obvious this was meant to hold someone inside. I opened the door and entered.

"Who's there?" a man asked. They were soldiers and there was two of them. They stood alarmed, but one seemed injured. Not gravely but enough to slow his reactions.

"Peace, my friends, we've come to save the Queen," Frog spoke.

"Frog? The Queen assured us you would come. But you don't have time to help us, you must make haste to the queen. Someone named Yakra took her deeper in to kill her," The soldier upon realizing we were allies quickly changed his priorities. He was a soldier...loyal to the crown. I respected that.

"Is there anything else you can tell us on how to get to the Queen? Any more mechanisms that might be between here and there?" I asked.

"Yes, the final door must be opened by a piano, much like the one used to enter this place. Please, I am more than enough to see that I and my companion make it out of here but you must make it to the Queen," the Soldier bowed and urged us to leave.

We made our way out onto the 2nd floor balcony area and over to the side railing that overlooked the main door to the next area, "So we still have to get through there...any thoughts?" I whispered looking to Frog and Lucca.

"No time to waste right?" Lucca held out a small object. "When I throw this, leap down and head through the door...it should keep them confused as to what happened before it clears."

"What sort of contraption is that?" Frog asked.

"A smoke bomb...it'll cover us from sight while we go through the door," Lucca said quickly.

"Just keep in mind your path, once you are in the smoke you won't be able to see either," I whispered a reminder as we all moved by the balcony side. "On your mark, Lucca."

She gave the two of us hand signals...one...two...three. Lucca jumped up and threw the smoke bomb in front of the mystics and both turned to the sound of its impact. As smoke began to billow out we all jumped down behind them to the door. I quickly and quietly opened the door as Frog and Lucca lined in behind me. I closed the door on the other side and found ourselves in the next area. I moved forward to a staircase and made my way up...this was more like an entrance hall and it looked clear.

"Alright priority one is find the piano to open the door. Eesh, how convoluted do you have to make it to get around in your own stronghold?" I shook my head. "Anyway look out for the skull looking switches like we found earlier for the two guards."

"Wait...I believe there is noise coming from beyond this door," Frog came up to the door at the top of the stairs.

"Why hasn't Yakra killed the human yet?" a high pitched voice spoke.

"Don't question the great Yakra...besides he already explained it like four times and you just keep picking that time to take a damn nap," a much deeper pitched voice chipped in.

"Yessss...for...leverage..." the high pitched voice said mockingly.

"Yakra does not simply want to kill the humans in power...he wants to claim that power for his own so that he can overtake the Fiendlord. From there it would be a simple matter to take the rest of the world," the deep voice was no doubt proud of this. "Why else do you believe the Great Yakra would lower himself to disguise as a human? He has nearly gained the trust of the King."

I shook my head, "The Chancellor...so he is impersonating him? But their ability to disguise must be incredible to be able to pull that off. Does that have to do more with Mystic magic?"

"Aye. Mystic magic is quite capable in its possibilities. Full disguise is not beyond their grasp," Frog whispered back. "More than likely there are several they have replaced in the Castle. I suspected as much for some time."

"Okay so this Yakra has replaced the Chancellor...and he kidnapped the Queen? How is that to his advantage if he's trying to gain the King's trust?" Lucca asked.

"It isn't about trust...its about cornering the King to be of such a bad mental state that he can be deemed unfit to rule. Something a Chancellor is very much in a position to do," I muttered as I moved away from the door. "But with the queen supposedly found he must be unsure of what to do next."

"But once he finds out that she's missing again then..." Lucca gasped.

"Yeah...he'll proceed with his original plan...and kill Queen Leene. We have a limited window...I tricked the guards but they will check on the Queen and they'll know she is missing. News will more than likely make it back to Yakra quickly. Let's find that piano first," I said as I made my way over to a different staircase and leaped down the stairs. There was no time to waste. There were definitely a number of Mystics patrolling the area...was this Yakra paranoid? I suppose you had to be if you were plotting to take over a whole kingdom. Still the Mystics were hardly paying much attention to their surroundings. This far in more than likely had them over confident that they would know already if there were intruders. This made it that much easier to get by. By sneaking past them we were able to determine where the secret door was but not the piano needed to open it...we also found a switch along the way that we hit just in case it was needed.

It brought us all the way back to where we started and in front of the door we had overheard the mystics from before. Opening it we saw the piano in clear view...along with a handful of mystics.

"Hey, the spikes went down...shouldn't we go check it out? No one is playing with the damn switch again are they?" A Mystic groaned as they approached the door. We quickly moved away and out of view as a few of them left and down a different staircase. We rushed up and into the room. Only one Mystic remained. Frog jumped up as I sprang forward. Before the Mystic realized what was going on we had cut him down.

I made my way over to the piano and played the three notes...we heard the noise of the door appearing and we left the room. All that was left was to go beyond and find the Queen...and Frog and I had enough sneaking around. Lucca charged behind us laying down cover fire as we attacked. We kept moving...we found the door that appeared in the place we predicted and charged through. A long corridor was ahead of us and we charged down it eliminating the Mystics in our way as we busted open the final door. Then finally we saw her...the Queen. She was still in her formal Queen attire...an elegant white dress...similar to what Marle had been wearing...and they did look quite similar. She turned her head and looked at us. Relief flooded her face. Currently she was tied down to a table and the Chancellor stood menacingly over her with a knife.

"You're just in time to witness the death of Queen Leene. It will be enough to send the King into despair. You are far too late to do anything," the fake Chancellor held the knife up...but Lucca took aim and fired. Hitting the knife it harmlessly flew away and into the wall. While he flinched back both Frog and I charged forward. I jumped over the Queen and kicked the fake Chancellor away while Frog quickly broke Leene free of her restraints and pulled her away.

"Frog...you came," the Queen said.

"Stay back, Your Majesty. This Fiend is not yet finished," Frog warned as we cautiously moved back to the door. Lucca grabbed the Queen's hand.

"Stay behind me, Your Highness," Lucca said.

"Be careful...he isn't human," The Queen warned.

"Looks like all your plans are going to fall apart and after this we'll make sure the castle is cleansed of any agents you have hiding there," I said as the fake Chancellor got to his feet and moved in front of the table.

"Is that right?" he sneered. "Unfortunately for you..." A wave of his hand and the exit was locked. "None of you will leave here alive...and none of you will get in the way of my plans for this kingdom and the world!"

"You will pay for your transgressions against the Queen. Prepare yourself, Yakra!" Frog held his sword out at the fake Chancellor.

"Is that so?" the fake Chancellor let out a laugh as he transformed. "Behold, my true form!"

It was definitely magic...because almost withing a moment he was nearly twice his size with large claws but...honestly it wasn't that threatening. "Do...you...not have arms?"

I couldn't help but ask...but yeah...he had claws but how was he supposed to attack with them? His appearance which I assumed would be quite terrifying was actually...kind of sad. I suppose it wasn't that bad because he could change forms...but that had to be inconvenient if he had to change form in order to do mundane tasks.

"Don't you dare look down upon me! I am Yakra! And I shall rule the world!" He countered and surprised me by his speed as he charged right at me. And seeing him attack was a lot more threatening now...he had good movement speed and had a rough hide on top to protect himself. Still I easily jumped over him and used his own body to propel myself further up into the air.

"Crono! I shall create the opening," Frog said as he came forward with his sword. I was going straight back down towards Yakra so I didn't have much choice.

Yakra stopped and looked straight up at me looking like was about to launch a magic attack but Frog slashed quickly at his midsection as I came swinging down and caught his underside, cutting Yakra as I then quickly jumped back beside Frog. It wasn't bad...if Frog and I could get a clear shot we could deliver a more decisive strike against him. But to do that...

"Crono, Frog! Get ready!" Lucca announced as she stepped forward and pulled out something from her bag that was at her hip. Yakra went on the offensive and I prepared myself for the worse. I was ready to attack but if Lucca was even a moment late then...

"Frog...you cross left and I'll cross right," I said loud enough for him to hear.

"Yes, I shall combine your might with my own. Let it be decisive and final," Frog said as we both readied our swords. Yakra came charging protecting his underside but he was greeted by a line of fire as he approached. Confused e halted and tried to move back to avoid it...but to do that he had to expose himself...Frog and I were there to capitalize it. I ran past, straight through the flame and cut his underside and Frog used the opening to drive his blade deep into Yakra.

"No! I was supposed to rule...I was supposed to finally...win..." Yakra muttered as he fell to the ground dead. As Frog withdrew his sword the body of Yakra disappeared in that flame we had seen before.

"He might have been a bad warrior but he was smart," I said as I sheathed my weapon. "There were just a few unknown factors that got in his way."

"Indeed, he had a fearsome mind that had successfully gained the King's ear. The death of Leene would have been enough to gain more leverage over the King..." Frog shook his head. "You are quite insightful, Crono."

"My Mother always taught me to keep my ears open and never dismiss a possibility. An open mind is less likely to be taken advantage of...if only for the reason to take the time to ask why someone does what they do. Sometimes you will be surprised by the answer," I said simply.

"Frog...Thank you. I knew you would come to my rescue. And to the two of you as well," Leene said as she walked over to us. She bowed to us. "If you had not shown when you did I would have been dead."

The worse part of that statement is that she would not be the only one dead. But there was no way of knowing that everything was okay until after they returned to the castle and see if Marle was back or not. I turned to leave but heard a noise...I walked to a large chest and opened it...I found within...the real Chancellor. I helped him out of the chest and untied him.

"Thank you, young man. If you are here then I assume that accursed Yakra has been dealt with?" he asked, apparently not registering the others in the room.

"Chancellor is that you?" the Queen made her presence known.

"Queen Leene?" he turned and smiled. "He managed to take you as well? I'm glad that we both managed to come away from this undamaged."

"It could have been a lot worse for both of you," I said, but it was obvious that the Chancellor was feeling a mixture of relief and frustration. "We should head back to the castle for now."

"Yes...I think I've had enough of this place for quite some time," Leene sighed with an obvious exhaustion. She nearly fell but I was there to catch her. I couldn't help but noticed the distinct traits that would eventually become a part of her descendant Nadia. the pale emerald eyes and blonde hair and even her build was similar to Marle...no wonder people had mistaken Marle for Leene. She was definitely faint from what she had gone through...no doubt the stress had a lot to do with it.

"Your Majesty, are you..."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "It has been quite a long time since I've eaten, I'm weak"

"Crono, would you be willing to look after Her Majesty as we make our way out?" Frog looked to me.

"That's fine, Lucca and you can take the lead. Chancellor you follow behind them and I will take up the rear with Queen Leene," I said settling the marching order to ensure no confusion.

"We'll clear the way, Crono," Lucca said.

"You are a courageous and well skilled young man. The Kingdom owes you much," the Chancellor said as he followed after Frog and Lucca.

I gently led Leene forward as we followed after the others. As soon as the others were out of earshot the Queen decided to speak.

"You and that girl have such strange fighting styles...where do you hail from?" she asked me.

"Your Majesty...would you prefer I lie to you, or say nothing?" I asked a simple question.

"I would prefer truth, but your words indicate you could not provide me with such," Leene sighed.

"I too would prefer to tell you the truth...I do not like to lie or make excuses...but even if I told you what I knew, I am unsure if it would be truth...or simply just the truth I have been led to believe. Either way the circumstances led me to rescuing you. There was no other choice for me. I'm sure you will hear some details as to why when you are back at the castle," I tried to give her some comfort with a smile.

"Crono...that was your name?" she asked after a moment.

I nodded, "A name gifted to me by my Father. Or so my Mother informs me."

"You are a gifted and strong young man...but I sense a sadness within you. But I feel you are on the edge of a discovery...about something within yourself. And that this is simply a beginning to a larger journey," Queen Leene was obviously exhausted as although she was trying to convey the feelings she had she was experiencing. With my free hand I reached into my pocket and put something into her hand. She looked at it.

"My hairpin? You found it?" She grasped it in her hand as if she had just regained a part of herself.

"The King told me you would never part with it. It's how we knew you were in the Cathedral. We found it on the ground inside," I said. "The King has been devastated since you went missing."

She smiled warmly at the mention of the King, "He's the same as always. He is an amazing man...courageous and faithful to his people. Crono...thank you for finding and returning this to me."

"If you don't mind me asking...why do you have such high sentimental value to it?" I asked.

"It is a simple hairpin with the Guardia Family Crest...but this also shows my connection to my Husband. I was not always royalty...I was a simple girl from Truce but I became a servant in the castle. I was a handmaiden to the Princess before she died of illness...and her and I were very close friends. She gifted me this hairpin and that was how my Husband and I grew close...through his sister. But I had long held a crush for him and had often been teased by his sister for it. This hairpin...is a reminder of those times...of the loss of my close friend and how it led to the love of my life...and yet it has not been that long. And I know we still have a long life ahead of us...and thanks to you, Frog and that girl...we'll have that chance," She clutched the hairpin to her chest.

I had heard a bit of it when learning about the history of Guardia. The kidnapping of Queen Leene was a memorable tale because of the cursed knight attached to it. The same that would leave to face down the Fiendlord known as Magus. It was something else to actually hear it from Queen Leene herself. What a weird day it has been. "I'm quite envious...can't say I have anyone I feel that strongly about."

"You and I will have to disagree on that," Leene said with a slight giggle...one that had a familiar ring to it. "Just because you do not see it...does not mean others do not."

* * *

"So that's the truth of it then," the Queen said as she shifted on her throne. The King looked concerned but she gave him a smile that assured him she was just fine. "Still...Crono, it does little to explain you or your friends presence within our Kingdom."

"This place has forever been my home and kingdom," I said honestly. "While I have my own reasons, you can rest assured that my interest were to protect the crown." I may be from a different time line but saving Leene meant saving Marle and...

"You have done a great service for our Kingdom," the King said as he got up from his throne. I was already kneeling in front of the throne as was Frog and Lucca on either side of me. He walked forward towards me as I noticed he had a sword at his side...it was decorative one used for a specific purpose. "Today let me honor you, not only as your King but as a Husband. There is no greater deed than you ensuring her safe return to the castle and to me." He unsheathed the sword and held it up. "For the immense honor you bring forth to not only your Kingdom but your parents and your own name...I grant you Knighthood and the privileges entitled to one. You are more than deserving of such a title." He touched each of my shoulders with the blade and then my head.

"I...thank you, Your Majesty," I wasn't sure if I could say anything else. I couldn't deny the King if it was what he wished.

"Rise, Sir Crono," The King said.

I did so and the King sheathed the sword. He stepped forward and took my hand and pulled me into a half hug. "I cannot thank you enough for bringing my wife back to me. She is all that matters to me."

"Your Majesty," I whispered. "I suggest you investigate your staff, there could be followers of Yakra still hidden within your walls."

He stood back and smiled, "I intend to do just that. Still whatever became of that girl we mistook for Leene?"

"I believe she is probably still up in the Queen's chambers. If you don't mind I would like to retrieve her...she is a friend of mine and was also how I knew that Leene was still in fact kidnapped," I answered giving a much more believable answer than I would have imagined. In a way though...it was true though...the only reason I knew of Leene was because of Marle.

"Go to her, but speak to us again before you depart," the Queen smiled. I nodded and without waiting I rushed off towards the stairs that led to the Queen's quarters.

I rushed by the knight and handmaidens and entered the queens room...just as I did a blue light appeared as I approached the queens bed...and as the light disappeared...Marle was there. I sat next to the bed as she sprang up her eyes wide and she gasped for air. Her eyes went to me.

"Crono!" she basically leaped at me and threw her arms around me...clutching me to her as if her life depended on it. "I'm here right...I'm alive? I'm not...wherever that was right?" Marle devolved into tears. "Oh goodness you are real...I'm back...and its you...really you...Crono..."

Marle had essentially pulled me onto the bed with my head hugged tightly to her chest. I had no idea what she experienced...but it couldn't have been anything good with the way she reacted. So I did nothing and let her regain control of her senses. Eventually her grip loosened.

"Everything is alright now, Nadia," I whispered as I pulled away from her and sat back up. She did to but she kept close to me.

She put her forehead against mine, "I'm not dreaming am I? This is really us? I'm alive right?"

I laughed, I couldn't help it. "Full flesh and blood, I promise."

"Can I...kiss you...to make sure?" she said leaning in to do just that but I couldn't let her. Not like this...her emotions were too high and as much as I would love to I wasn't going to let it happen like this. So I turned away and looked over to see Lucca from the doorway.

"Maybe when we have some privacy," I said and smiled at her. It was a better way to deflect it and also not flat out deny her.

Her eyes widened and turned to see Lucca as well...even still Marle didn't move from me, "Crono...I don't know if I can properly describe it...but if I had to equate it to something...it was like...dying. It was dark...and cold and there was just nothing...there was no getting warm...there was no way to move...it was just...it was awful...more than awful. I can't...it was so lonely and all I could do was think of you Crono...I just wanted to see you again and..."

"Shh," I pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm here now...and so are you...don't worry everything is fine now."

"Your Highness...if I could explain. We ended up not in a different place but a different time. Time was changed when they found you and Queen Leene was not. As a result she would die and you would have never been born. So time corrected itself...but before the time line could bear the true consequences we were able to save the Queen and correct the time line," Lucca said as she stepped into the room and knelled down before Marle at the edge of the bed.

"So we were right, Crono...we did have to save the queen," Marle whispered. "Lucca? You came to save me as well?"

"Yes, Your Highness. It took me time to figure out what had happened but eventually I was able to follow as well," Lucca explained.

Marle took a deep breath and I let go of her and she finally seemed to regain her composure. "So you both know that I'm Nadia now. All I wanted to do was go experience the Fair...celebrate how our Kingdom has survived for a thousand years...yet because of that...our Kingdom had almost been wiped out and why?"

"The machine reacted to your pendant," I said as I pulled it out from my pocket and held it out to her. "This pendant must have powers your family line might have once had. No doubt the machine somehow activated it and caused it to open that...whatever it was through time. And it was also what allowed me to follow you."

She looked at the pendent in my hand..."It's also what brought us together."

I chuckled, "I think that had more to do with us both not watching where we were walking."

She giggled, "You're right." She got to her feet finally with that amazing smile that I could never seem to get out of my head. "You know its funny...this is my room in our time line too. I had always wondered what the different sections of the castle had been used for in the past."

"Do you want to look around?" I asked.

She shook her head, "No, we should head home. Wait...can we do that?"

"Well, Your Highness..." Lucca started.

"Please...call me Marle. A lot less stuffy then Your Highness," Marle smiled. I couldn't help but notice that she didn't indicate to Lucca to call her Nadia like she had to me.

"Well...Marle..." Lucca pulled out an object from her bag. "This is a gate key. The distortion we used to get here I call 'gates' and this device is used to detect and open them. It will make more sense when we return to the one we came from. The distortions are tied to locations so they won't move once you find one."

"That's amazing, Lucca!" Marle was legitimately impressed. I was too considering how she was able to create it and figure out how it worked in a short amount of time.

Lucca grinned, "I am a genius you know."

"Definitely," Marle shook her head in agreement.

"So is it a problem that the gate is essentially there for good now?" I tried to redirect their conversation.

"Well the distortion is harmless from what I can tell. Without the gate key it won't open so no chance of anyone going through by accident," Lucca said. "I plan to investigate it further when we get back, but I was in a rush to follow after you."

Marle caught that part, "Wait...catch up? But didn't you both..."

"I followed later but Crono went after you immediately after you went through," Lucca seemed more surprised she didn't know this.

Marle locked eyes with me, "Crono...I know we just met but...thank you."

"We can talk later...let's get out of here. You might want to change out of that dress though," I chuckled as I headed towards the door. I noticed that her things including her crossbow was on the dresser, as well as her clothes she had been wearing when I met her at the fair. "I'll be outside. Oh wait, your pendant..."

She closed my hand over the pendant, "You hold onto it. I've had a habit of dropping it lately it seems. I'd rather keep it where I know it's safe."

"If you insist," I smiled and then left the room. I put the pendant into my bag where I had made a space just for it. A smaller pouch within the bag itself.

As I walked out I noticed Frog peering in but stepped back as I came out, with Lucca behind me.

"She indeed has an uncanny resemblance to the Queen," he commented as Lucca closed the door behind her. "I wanted to give my regards before I departed."

"It was an honor to fight by your side, Frog," I said and offered my hand.

"Perhaps next time I will see more of your skill as a swordsman. You have good potential," Frog said as he shook my hand. He then broke and turned to leave. "I have much to reflect on. I feel I am responsible for the Queen being in danger. With the King on guard I feel it will be fine to leave for a time."

"Sometimes its best to reflect but I also believe the Queen finds your presence here comforting," I said.

"Frog...I'm sorry I didn't trust you...I'm just not good with Frogs and...has nothing to do with you as a person..." Lucca started.

"I'm not offended," Frog interrupted. "It was a pleasure to fight by your side as well, Miss Lucca. I bid you both farewell." And with that he was gone.

A moment later Marle stepped out back in her clothes from the fair and seemingly more like herself...although I could tell that the experience had shaken her...it would take her time to return to normal.

"Are you ready, Marle?" I asked.

She nodded, "Let's go home."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I spent so much of my childhood playing this game and now that I'm writing this...I feel like I should have done it sooner. There is so much I wanted Crono to be able to express to the other members of the party...mostly because as a kid I wanted to tell them those things. I spent a lot of my youth alone because of my Father being in the military so we...were always moving. I never had much friends growing up. And its a fact that has caused me difficulty into my adult life. But as such I felt I knew these characters in this game better than anyone. Granted that is just the viewpoint of a child. But I feel that finally I can put those expressions into a story that is more believable and tangible than I could have done earlier in my life. While mostly this story is for me. I hope that others will enjoy this as well.**

 **Chapters are typically going to be around 10k, and releases are probably going to be monthly. That's the goal at any rate. I have an ongoing story in Persona 4 that is weekly and comes before this one. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review and maybe spread the word if you like it. See you at the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 / Trial, Execution and Fate**

I somehow didn't expect this to happen. Upon returning with Marle to the castle I was immediately detained even with Marle protesting along the way. I noticed as they were bringing me into the courtroom that while the King was present that Princess Nadia...or rather Marle was absent...more than likely because she would try to stop the hearing at all costs. I find it somewhat funny in a way...but also somewhat concerned why the Chancellor had so heavily pushed for this and for it to happen so quickly. Strangely enough I was sure that us saving Queen Leene in the past had somehow brought upon these stiff laws in the present. So I go into the past to save the Princess...end up having to save the Queen to save her, which prompts a policy change that effects 400 years in the future. So in a really messed up way...I did this to myself? I wanted to laugh, but the many eyes on me made me more focused on the present.

I could hear the quiet whispers that were no doubt in reaction to me. I understood what the Chancellor would do. Since he had no real case he would attack my character and paint me in as bad of light as possible. But it didn't make sense to me as to why they would go this far. Or maybe it was more simple than that.

I looked up at the King as I realized that his eyes bore into me with disgust. It all made more sense to me now. I was to be punished one way or another...either for kidnapping the Princess or simply for running off with her. I looked to the man that had volunteered to be my defense attorney he approached me with a smile. I was grateful but there was little he could do to prevent a bad outcome. It was all rigged. My punishment was not for me to learn a lesson...but for Marle, Princess Nadia. It was to scare her from ever leaving the castle. I should have suspected as much considering what she had told me in the past. Marle was forbidden from leaving the castle after her Mother died...so she snuck out to see the fair after years of faithfully following her Father's decree. Yet now he was going to use me to tighten his grip on her. Perhaps...coming back to this era wasn't the best of ideas. Ultimately...I guess there would have been no avoiding it.

"How do you feel, Crono?" Pierre, my attorney, asked.

"Hmm...Like I'm about to be accused of kidnapping a Princess...honestly it is a very unique feeling," I couldn't help but laugh. "Really wish I knew sooner she was the Princess, maybe I would have had time to enjoy the complications of being with her."

"They don't have anything against you...I'm unsure why they are pressing this like they are," Pierre shook his head.

"I'm here to be punished...not for my sake...but to teach her a lesson. Thats what this is about," I said glancing at him before looking back to the King. "None of what is happening has to do with what I did, or didn't do. He doesn't want to have his daughter leave her cage, ever again."

Pierre nodded, "I see...scare tactics on his own daughter? I can't approve of something like this...I have my own daughter and I know this will only serve to push the Princess away more. Tell me how is your relationship with the Princess?"

"Enough to know she isn't going to just sit by and do nothing. Especially when they refuse to listen to her or I about what really happened. Truth be told it wouldn't exactly be the most believable story I've ever told," I said as I saw the Judge entering the room. "There could be another motive at play here."

"Now presiding, Judge Malister," one of the soldiers announced.

"Be seated. We are here for Crono who is charged with abducting the Princess," the judge announced. "This trial shall start with the testimony of the defense."

"My concern," I whispered to Pierre. "Is how far they are willing to go to teach her a lesson."

Pierre nodded and stepped forward, "Ladies and Gentlemen...the defendant Crono is charged with premeditated abduction of royalty. But I'm here to tell you that no such event ever took place. Crono and Princess Nadia innocently ran into each other at our Millennial Fair...a celebration of our one thousand years as a Kingdom. The Princess who has been forbidden to ever leave the castle did not know who she was as there is no depictions of any kind of our Princess outside of the castle. Many to this day still do not know how the Princess looks. Crono comes from our beloved Truce. He is a monster hunter who does his work to keep our Kingdom safe for our merchants and our personal travels. This upstanding citizen of our country had no possible way of knowing she was the Princess. As a matter of fact she asked him to show her around the fair."

"Is this true?" The chancellor asked flippantly. "Are you saying it was the Princess that initiated contact?"

I eyed the Chancellor...he was already making the first move. First his intention was to cast doubt as to what my motives were.

"Indeed, it was..." Pierre started.

"I was not asking you, Pierre," Chancellor cut him off.

I looked to the judge and it was obvious he wanted me to answer. "No, it was both of us."

"Both of you?" Chancellor moved towards me. "Please elaborate for the court."

"The Princess and I collided with each other by Leene's Bell. I had been absorbed in my own thoughts and I assume the Princess her own, but you would have to ask her that," I said simply...I knew I was being set up to fall but that didn't mean I couldn't make it difficult for him.

"So you presume the Princess actions and..."

"I presume nothing, I only give my thoughts as the Princess, apparently, has not been allowed to speak for herself," I said calmly but sharply to which immediately caused a commotion within the courtroom. Well if I was going to be used to punish Marle...I could get in a few blows myself.

"Order! Order!" The judge beat the gavel down. "Keep such comments to yourself, Crono."

"Then you are asking me to withhold the truth," I countered. I was hardly afraid of the consequences, even if it meant execution. I wouldn't be any less than who I was. My Mother would never want me to be anything else. And I could have a little bit of fun along the way.

Again the Judge had to bring the court under control. I'm sure he wasn't liking me at this point, but I didn't allow myself to express anything either way. I knew what was going on. But if I could get anyone in the crowd to question what was going on...then it would be a small victory.

"You may say this, but I have an eye witness saying you identified the Princess before hand and then proceeded to make it look like an accident," the Chancellor sneered as the eye witness came forward. Not surprising that I had not only never seen this person before but recalled my actions leading up to me colliding into Nadia with vivid detail. There would be no point in calling him out as a liar.

Pierre and I shared a look...he knew I was being set up. Yet I had no witness about my actions except for my Mother and Nadia herself. And a few after that...Lucca didn't see me until the demonstration of her invention. They could possibly aim to blame her as well. Doubtful though...it was probably already clear to the King that punishing me was all that was needed.

"Eventually you would both go to Lucca's invention show and would somehow disappear, we have several witnesses to the Princesses disappearance," the Chancellor said as he turned to the nobles that were in attendance. Never mind the fact that no one in the crowd knew that it was the Princess...and I doubt that he went to Truce to find people that had...because that would mean informing the people that Nadia was a Princess and the person they saw had been her. Again...this was all apart of what the Chancellor wanted. I was hardly going to refute it...this part of it was true.

"I also have eye witnesses of the acts this man has done that calls his character into question," the Chancellor continued.

"Objection!" Pierre was not happy with what was happening before him.

"Pierre, its fine," I said. He turned to me with a confused look. I sighed and shook my head, "It's no use."

"Crono...if you convicted for this they'll..."

"Execute me, I know," I sighed, I was being framed to look guilty...and they would force a decision with only circumstantial evidence...and all because Daddy wanted to keep his precious daughter under lock and key. "Anything we say or do he will have a counter for...even if it is faked. All he has to do is convince the nobles and then he can get what he wants to teach Princess Nadia a lesson. One she'll likely have on her mind every time she wishes to leave."

"And you're okay with this?" Pierre asked as the Chancellor was now bringing fake eye witnesses to claim I did horrible acts to defame me.

"Of course not...Princess Nadia is trapped with an overprotective asshole that would kill someone just to control her...I'm not okay with any of this," I said looking up to the King. He was enjoying this. And the Chancellor was rather...this seemed too familiar of a situation actually...or rather it felt that way.

"Even in this situation...you seem more worried over the Princess than yourself," Pierre smiled. "She was lucky to have met you."

"No, Pierre...I was the lucky one. Even if it was a short time...Marle...or rather Nadia showed me how to truly enjoy myself and taught me that there is something I would give my all to fight for...even if it was as selfish as to spend more time with the Princess herself," I smiled grimly and recalled my short time with the girl that had introduced herself as Marle. A sheltered girl who simply wanted to have fun and see the Millennial Fair. Enough to risk leaving the castle after never doing so before in her life. Now after everything that happened she would be oppressed and kept under control...and they would do that by killing me...using my death to serve as a reminder of what happens if she leaves the castle. Princess Nadia was imprisoned in the place that should have been her home. "Pierre, support the Princess if you can...she will need it in the coming days...I'm sure of it. Especially after I'm gone."

* * *

As I had assumed, I was _found_ to be guilty and that I would be executed in three days time for the kidnapping of Princess Nadia. At the end of the trial Nadia managed to burst into the courtroom...and I had been the coward in that instance. As in those moments I realized the most painful truth...I would never see her again. And what was hard was seeing all the emotions in her face as they dragged me away...guards holding the princess back as she cried out to me. I never wanted to see someone make that kind of face...not over me. We still barely knew each other...but our short time together had been incredibly meaningful to me. And hopefully for her too.

She yelled...she pleaded with her Father. _"He saved my life...I'm only alive because of him and you would kill the man that had protected me!? You can't do this! Father!"_ Naturally there was no convincing him. This was the response he had hoped to get from her...to make her understand that it was her fault. He only replied with, _"This man dies because you left the castle."_ It left no room for her to question what was happening. The truth of the situation. She knew then...that it didn't matter if I had been guilty or not. I was being used to punish her...in the most cruel way possible.

Princess Nadia broke down...lost her composure. _"No...no...Crono...I'm so sorry...I'm so so sorry."_ That was the last thing I saw...the last thing I witnessed before pulled away. Princess Nadia collapsed on the ground, crying for me. Now...she was likely blaming herself for this. The Kingdom of Guardia deserved a better King than this...or a Chancellor that propagates this kind of punishment on the Princess of the Kingdom. Marle...she deserved so much more than this...Nadia...

I was brought into the damp, dark dungeon to spend my time until my execution. All I had in this space was a bed...which probably only had broken springs so it hurt like hell to lay down on, a chain connecting me to the wall and...a toilet. There was no light except for that of the torches that lit the corridors on the outside of the cell and the solitary window that looked out into the forest surrounding the castle. Well I suppose the view wasn't all that bad considering I could have been locked underground. Guess it was weird that the dungeons was basically a set of towers that were next to the castle but connected by bridges.

There was only a day left now until my execution. And the past two days had only made me angry or depressed. I'm not sure which one I was more at this point. Marle was trapped...imprisoned in a life with people that didn't care about her. She was just Princess Nadia...to be kept under lock and key in her glass case, never allowed to leave. She had escaped and taken up a different name just to experience the outside world. And now they would guilt her with my death...if I could I would escape so at the very least she wouldn't have that guilt over her head. But there would be no time for that. The guards were currently gone...but since I was chained to the wall I was hardly going to go anywhere further than my bed anyway. So I was definitely surprised when suddenly the door to my cell opened and an individual entered. They had on a long dark cloak that obscured their face so I couldn't make them out as they approached.

I was sitting on the bed as they approached but it only took a moment before they pulled the hood of the cloak back, revealing her face. Princess Nadia rushed over to me...not allowing me to say anything she moved onto me and straddled my lap and captured my lips with her own before I even could realize what was happening. I really wanted to resist her, push her away...don't let her do this. Kissing me wasn't going to make things easier for her after I died...her coming down here was a mistake and...but I couldn't. The moment her lips met mine I felt an immense hunger and need come over me and I gladly kissed her back. It was pretty obvious that neither of us had ever kissed before so it was definitely a bit clumsy to start...but after a moment Nadia and I slowed and took our time to enjoy ourselves. Nadia set out to explore my mouth with her tongue and I found myself wanting to do the same...we went back and forth for quite a while before the two of us separated to go for air...the desire for more couldn't have been more apparent for either of us. But it needed to stop. She needed to get out of here...

"Crono," her just saying my name told me just how badly she wanted to continue. Well not the act of her saying my name, but how she had said it. "Come on, we're getting out of here." She pulled out a key and took off the chain from my leg.

Hold on a minute. She was planning to help me escape? That wasn't the greatest of ideas for her. "Nadia...if you do this then..."

"We're leaving and we are never coming back," she said defiantly and the look in her eyes left no room for question. I, honestly, didn't consider she might run away from the castle again...and bring me with her. Doing that also meant we couldn't stay in the kingdom of Guardia...We would have to venture to a different country. "I know I'm asking a lot...we barely know each other but I..."

"Nadia," I stopped her and impulsively quickly stole a kiss from her. "It's true we haven't spent much time together...but that time definitely left an impression on me. You showed me so much about myself in such a small frame of time. And yeah, it won't be easy for us but we have to try, right? Besides, I don't want you to stay in a place with a Father that would do this to control you." There was no other choice now...if we could get away...then it would be better for the both of us.

She nodded, "Crono...I'm so happy I met you."

"I feel the same about you, Nadia," I said with a smile. Well I think my feelings for her were a bit complicated because I hadn't known she was a Princess for that long...and being involved with her is...well considering I'm trying to escape my own execution now, I guess it doesn't get much more complicated than that.

She got to her feet and pulled back her cloak and revealed she had my sword and bag hiding underneath, "Also we had a little help."

Another individual stepped into view at the entrance to my cell. It was Lucca, "I figured something bad had happened. So I manage to sneak my way in and talked to Marle. It was actually easier to get to her than you, as odd as that is. I was planning to break you out but...Marle insisted she help and...well I think its pretty obvious how she feels about you at this point." Lucca looked somewhat amused...although all three of us were about to become fugitives.

"I...um...yeah," Nadia's face grew a little red in response. "Is that...okay?" She looked at me. So...she liked me? Well...dating a runaway Princess would be high on a list of things unlikely to happen to you in your lifetime. But no...I was certainly attracted to her...but we needed to focus.

"It's new territory for both of us...but maybe we should talk about this once were a few dozen miles away from the castle," I got to my feet as Marle handed me my katana. "Ready to be fugitives?"

"Not exactly how I thought life would go for me but I can live with this," Lucca said as she readied her new and improved gun...no doubt thinking she needed the firepower. I noticed my katana had been recently sharpened. She had been prepared for something.

"Let's find a new place to call home," Marle said from my side.

This was hardly what I wanted...but still I had to try...even if it meant actually taking Marle this time. I had no qualms now about taking her away from here...especially after I've seen how her Father treats her. As we left I saw that several guards were knocked unconscious and Lucca was quick to show that she developed something to knock them out. Still we quickly made it our way through the dungeon which apparently was a detached part of the castle and only connected by a bridge. We stopped when I realized I knew one of the prisoners. He was in a guillotine, likely he was to be executed...soon. "Fritz?"

He looked up at me...he was locked in a well...it was obvious he was about to be executed. His eyes came to life, "Crono! Help, get me out of this!"

I quickly moved over and used my sword to cut through the lock and pulled him free. He rubbed his neck as he took steps away from the guillotine, "Why are you even here?"

"I don't really know...I was asked a bunch of questions about you and when I didn't give answers they liked they..." he sighed. "Crono...what happened? They were asking me to lie and when I refused they put me here."

"Apparently I kidnapped a Princess," I shrugged.

"I wouldn't mind if you kidnapped me though," Marle said from next to me. "I'm sure Dad will think you've corrupted me or something this time."

"Well now you don't mind. But I didn't even know you were the Princess then. Besides I have a feeling you're the one that will be doing the corrupting," I shook my head. "Anyway follow a ways behind us and we'll clear the way. They should be too focused on us and make it easy for you to sneak out."

"That's the Princess? Princess Nadia? What have you gotten yourself into, Crono?" he asked me. He looked concerned...well Fritz and I had been friends since we were kids.

"It might be a while before I get the chance but one day I'll tell you," I said as I turned to leave. "Give my best to your Father and Elaine."

"Good luck, Crono," he said as we all walked away and Fritz stayed back. It was best he followed us from the Shadows from here on out.

"Did my Father really go that far to just...teach me a lesson?" Marle muttered from next to me.

I shook my head. "I doubt it...I doubt he knows anything about what the Chancellor has done. While your Father may have wanted to teach you a lesson...I don't think he wanted go to such extremes." I had no proof of this, but if it was like what had happened in the Middle Ages...either way something felt wrong. Despite what the King had said at the trial, and my previous statements something just rubbed me the wrong way about the situation. So for the moment I would hold judgment on her Father. Plus I found it hard to believe that Marle could be the way she was without her Father being a somewhat decent man. Likely there was more information that I didn't have.

"This is why I like you so much Crono...even after everything that you've had to be subjected to because of me...you're still not blaming anyone for whats happened," Marle said softly as we went up a flight of stairs. "How can you be this way?"

"My Mother taught me to always ask questions...and never except what seems obvious as truth. There is always a story...always a reason why anyone does anything in this world. Your Father has a reason...a strong reason to be so overprotective of you. And you have your own reasons for not wanting to be protected. I'm not the one that determines who is right and who is wrong. I simply act based on what I do know and try to do the best I can. And I can't say I agree with your Father's actions but I also believe that the Chancellor is more aggressive than he should be. So that in itself is more curious to me," I said as we came to the door that opened up to the bridge...the one that left to our exit.

"Your Mom sounds amazing," Marle smiled from next to me.

"You'll meet her eventually," I said as I looked across the bridge and saw something...crazy. "Is that...what I think it is?"

"Yeah...that's definitely my Dragon Tank design," Lucca said as she stepped forward. "It was just a silly thing I drew when I was a kid and...and they made it? As a guard for their prison?"

"Looks like its our only way out of here...someone must have realized we came to free Crono," Marle pulled out her crossbow from under her cloak.

"Crono, if I remember that design I remember that I made the frame too top heavy because of its attack possibilities and the wheels are not structurally sound. I don't think they would have changed my design so if we take out the wheels it will severely limit its options. Let's focus on the left wheel," Lucca quickly chimed in. All three of us readied our weapons.

The dragon tank charged towards us. And we charged forward in turn. We ducked off to the left as the tank unleashed a line of fire towards us. This bridge didn't offer much room but it was enough. I struck the wheel expecing it to bounce off but...I put a good dent into it. And the wheel itself was...how long had it been sitting without being used? I drew back and hit the same spot again, causing a break. The dragon turned to throw fire at us again but both Marle and Lucca fired at its head diverting its attack away from us. Then it tried to move. When the wheel turned it moved onto the side I had weakened and there was a snap and the wheel collapsed. Marle and Lucca unleashed everything they had on the head of the dragon tank while I jumped onto its back.

"Crono! Aim for mid section! That's where the power source is!" Lucca yelled.

I didn't have much time to approximate but I took a firm grip on my sword and stabbed down with all of my strength. It went past the outer and slipped down and hit something. Sparks came flying out and I quickly jumped back and withdrew my sword. I retreated back with Marle and Lucca as the Dragon Tank rolled to its side and then...exploded. Part of the bridge collapsed.

The fight didn't last long, but when fighting something like that you wouldn't want it to be. We rushed over what was remaining of the bridge and I made sure neither of them tripped up or fell by following behind them but I took the lead again as soon as we were on the other side.

"Take the next left, Crono," Marle said from behind me. We continued running through the corridors and we ended up at the entrance but not surprisingly blocked by two guards. But then we were suddenly surrounded by other guards.

"Stop right there! King Guardia XXXIII comes before you!" It was the Chancellor who entered with a smug look. All the guards fell to a knee but we did not.

"You would take my daughter again? Do you not understand what you do?" the King glared at me.

I laughed, which seemed to shock a number of the guards that I would be so defiant, "Daughter? When was the last time you were a Father to her? If you opened your eyes you would see that you're the one that pushed her to this, not anyone else. She came to me...she wanted to escape from this place. Maybe if you had been the Father she wanted she would have never ran off to begin with." Harsh words that I probably had no right to say. However...he needed to think about the situation...and possibly if there was something out of place...he would seek to find it. Or this situation was a lost cause and the best solution would be...to run.

"Silence! Don't speak of matter to which you know nothing about," The King's voice came out as a growl.

"A man who keeps his pain and worries to himself will only push those he cares about away from him," I said repeating what my Mother had told me time and time again.

Marle was at my side and took my arm, "Father...you would have killed Crono...and for what? To scare me from ever leaving the castle? To make me believe I could never get close to anyone that it would only get them killed? I hate you...I hate the Chancellor...you prosecuted someone who risked his life to save me and you would have him executed for doing so? You can all go to hell. I'd rather die by his side then live the rest of my life in this prison you claim is my home."

"Nadia, there are dangers in the world that you don't..." The King was then cut off quickly by Marle.

"Shut up! The only thing dangerous in my life is you! Crono will be here with me, and he'll protect me. That's all that I need," Marle clutched my arm closer to her. I knew this is what she was feeling...but it sill must hurt her to say them.

The King halted for a moment and then frowned, "Do you...love this man?"

Marle shook her head, "I don't know yet...but I want the time to find out. But I can't stay here anymore. So I'm going to save him, and Crono and my friend Lucca are going to take me far away from here. Lucca?"

"Leave it to me, Princess," Lucca pushed up her glasses and then pulled out something from her bag and down onto the ground. A smoke bomb. We pushed past the two guards at the front door and exited out in the confusion with guards yelling out different orders. We ran down towards Guardia Forest from the castle, having no issues getting out of the door.

"I suppose that could have been worse," I said as I noticed soldiers rushing out of the castle to chase us. "I suppose we aren't out of this yet."

"Crono! There is another contingent of guards ahead," Lucca warned.

"Take the left path we can try to head through the dense part of the forest, and they won't be able to easily follow us," I said. It wasn't the best plan but we had little in the way of options at the moment. So it was easy to dodge the soldiers but the forest got dense very quickly. The three of us ducked behind a tree for a moment to catch our breaths. "We should be fine after we get past this..."

A beep came from Lucca...specifically in her pocket...she pulled out the Gate Key. "There...is a distortion near by." She looked to me for a moment.

"You can't escape! We have troops surrounding the forest!" a soldier yelled out.

"Couldn't we use the distortion to get away?" Marle asked.

"Yes...but we'd have no way of knowing our destination or even if we could come back," Lucca protested looking to me for support that it was a bad idea.

Unfortunately I was leaning more towards Marle on this. Though it was a stupidly reckless move, "But here we're all fugitives and we'll be hunted down even after we get past the forest. Look, I'm just saying there isn't an option here that is necessarily better than the other. Plus the forest only gets denser here and will be hard to make any progress at all. They may not follow us in but we can't move through that dense of forest without noise...and we aren't supplied to..."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Lucca sighed.

"Don't worry Lucca, it will all work out, I'm sure!" Marle tried to cheer her up.

"Let the record be shown that I am completely against this," Lucca said as she was looking at the readout on the Gate Key to approximate the position of the Gate.

"Noted," I said with a chuckle. "Lets just try not to change history this time."

Lucca held up the Gate Key...and instantly...the distortion...the Time Gate appeared before them. She looked back, "Come on, the distortion only stays open for a short time." She then jumped in.

"No time to change our mind now," I said as I took Nadia's hand. "Ready?"

She nodded, "As long as I'm with you."

We both leaped into the Gate. Our time was behind us...and who knew what waited for us on the other side. Yet we had little choice about this...it was either go through or take our chances with being hunted for the rest of our lives. But I was just as aware that whatever awaited for us on the other side...could be much...much worse.

* * *

I pulled Marle to me as we came tumbling out of the gate and I hoped I cushioned most of the impact and we came to a stop on what seemed to be an exceptionally cold floor. We stopped and Marle got to her feet...I sat up and looked around us...it was dark...cold and somewhat damp. But we were surrounded by...machinery? No it seemed more advanced than just to be mere machines...more complicated that even what Lucca was capable of creating.

"No power, but whatever this place was...it was pretty advanced. A few hundred years I would guess...maybe more," Lucca pulled out another device from her bag. "No good, judging by the rust and other indicators I'm getting this place has stopped functioning for at least..." She stopped and put the device away. "I want to say at least twenty years or so...but usually in that time frame plant life would have claimed more of this place if that were the case."

"We'll need to get a feeling of our surroundings first so we know where and possibly...when we are," I said but the atmosphere here was not shaking the ominous feeling I was getting.

"Is this...really our world?" Marle asked as she moved next to me.

"Lucca if this is tied to locations then..."

"I know," she said cutting me off. The looking over at me, "Let's focus on getting answers first."

She was right...there was no point in needless speculations...it was easy too it was to jump to bad conclusions. This place at least had signs indicating to the exit. So we walked...the facility was dimly lit by what looked like emergency lighting. Lucca speculated they were run off a different power supply than the rest of the building because the rest had zero power. There was a definite chill as we saw the exit come to view...and then we stepped out and the landscape was all around us.

It was barren...nothing green...no plant life whatsoever. And we were close to the ocean...and it looked...I shook my head...there was a staleness to the air...and another smell that seemed to be inescapable...the smell of death.

Lucca pulled out her device once more and apparently was scanning our surroundings, "I don't get this at all. The scans I'm getting don't support what we're seeing."

"What do you mean?" Marle asked.

"Well, Marle, normally these kind of readings indicate that life should be...well growing. It may be related to the soil and I'd have to do a test to verify it but there isn't pollution in the air but..." Lucca bit her lip...she didn't know what to say to describe it.

"But we all feel it...something just feels wrong. Something is stopping life from even happening," I said as I took a few steps out and put my hand on the dirt. "Either way, we won't get answers here. And we need to focus on our first problem here."

Lucca nodded, "We need to find water we can drink. I brought some tools to purify if needed but..."

"Crono...I'm sorry...because of me..."

"I'm alive," I interrupted her and only glancing back at her. "Because of you, I am alive. We knew the risks going into the Gate. And pointing the blame isn't going to help us."

"Right," Marle looked down. "Sorry."

I sighed and moved to her and gently guiding her chin to look up at me I gave her a smile. "We'll get through this...one way or another. For now, we take this one thing at a time...even if it means just focusing on our next step. Step one...find water. If we can find a water source we'll be one step further than we are now."

She finally smiled, "You're right! Alright guys lets get going!"

That was definitely more like her. Obviously I was scared about our situation but for now we needed to be optimistic and keep pressing forward. If our morale fell now...then we could be in a lot more trouble. Everything in me told me we were in a distant future...and if that was true...then what happened to cause this? First...survival...then after that...we find answers.

"One thing at a time," I muttered to myself to push myself forward. "One step at a time..."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I meant to get this up earlier, but got a bit delayed because of my crazy work schedule.**

 **Anyway, no real time to go into this. I wanted to make it a bit more believable in Crono's escape but also keep the pace up. I probably could have gotten over it again but I think it came out okay. This is a bit of a short chapter in comparison to the first two, but that's because I only wanted to include the trial and the escape. I know I skipped the part of getting to the trial but honestly there wasn't much that would happen in that time so I just skipped ahead.**

 **Next chapter will be a pretty big size. So please look for it about this time next month! See you next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 / The Ruined World**

It's been a couple days now since we arrived in this world of ruin. Fortunately we were able to find a small spring that with a little bit of filtering made it drinkable. Not exactly the best tasting water but it was certainly better than nothing. Sleeping arrangements were a bit...complicated because we essentially turned the dome that we arrived at to our makeshift home. We later found evidence that the name of the dome was Bangor Dome. Kind of an odd name but still a name. And in exploring our new home we found a door that seemed to be impossible to open. Lucca also found the emergency power but in doing so found that the main power was coming from a different location via wires underground. And there was a whole sewer system that went underneath... theoretically we could follow it to the power factory or whatever it was to see if we could re-activate it but there didn't seem to a point to that. Plus we had spotted another dome to the South of us, but it would take about half a day to walk to.

"Think someone lives there?" Marle asked from my side as I looked off to the dome in the distance. Marle hadn't slept well that first night. We only had a bit of a makeshift pillow and a emergency blanket that Lucca had brought. Other than that our supplies were massively limited. Last night, Marle asked to sleep next to me. Instead using my chest as a pillow as she slept. It seemed to have done the trick as she was a lot more lively than she had been yesterday.

"I haven't seen any movement outside of it but they may be self-sustaining inside there. Considering how it feels just being out here I won't blame anyone wanting to stay indoors," I sighed. I didn't care to speculate too much because we were going to be heading there within the hour. "You know...this whole thing hasn't left us much time to get to know each other, Nadia." Since it was just the two of us I figured I better use her real name.

She giggled, "I was thinking about that too. It's gone really fast, hasn't it?"

"Us too," I scratched my head for a moment. "So...why did you kiss me down in the dungeon anyway?" I bet most people were never direct with her because I saw her face go red. But she had to admit we were moving fast...sure we had connected and I felt that rush when I was with her. But that could easily be dismissed as a spring fling. I wanted it to work though. Still I didn't know what Marle thought of the situation.

"Well I realized that me breaking you out could get us both killed so..." she said softly. "And you had saved me Crono...I was dead...or something close to it...and you put yourself in danger for me, when you didn't have to. It may not have been a big deal to you. It might have been easy for you to do. However, it doesn't change the magnitude of what you did for me, and what you rescued me from. Everything you've done has only made me want to be closer to you. To know you, to hold you. And damn it, I wanted to kiss you. Let me ask you the reverse...why did you fight against it?"

Naturally I had stopped the kiss from happening when she tried initially. In the dungeon I was already a dead man and figured Marle had come to a decision just by coming down there. There would be no changing her mind from what she had already put into motion. And honestly my initial resistance had quickly disappeared as soon as I felt her lips on mine. But I had reasons. "Do I come off as a confident person?" I settled on a way to start.

Marle blinked a couple times and after a moment she realized I was going somewhere with this, "Yes, you do. You don't second guess your actions."

"Hmm, I suppose that is true. The truth is actually quite different though. To be honest, I'm really an insecure individual. I don't want the people around me to be negatively affected by my presence. So I don't want them to worry about me. So that's why I came up with my system. First I evaluate all options...I decide which will have the least amount of impact on other people and then once I have decided on a path I don't look back and commit to it the whole way through. My Mom always taught me to be proud of my actions...so I should always choose the path I would always be proud of. I saved your life...if that means I had to die in order for that to happen, then so be it...that was just how it was meant to happen," I said with a shrug and looked towards her. "But reciprocating your feeling initially could have led to feelings of regret on your part and meaning I would have a negative affect on you. And when you went back to the castle I didn't want to..."

"You didn't want to hurt me...because you knew that when I went back to the castle...there was a good chance we would never see each other again," Marle said this as she moved next to me and grabbed my arm. "Anyone else would have taken advantage of me because I was the Princess..."

"And that person would probably deserve to be executed by your Father," I shook my head. "You being a Princess doesn't matter. Even if you weren't...we still barely know each other and there is still a possibility that we'll end up hurting each other along the way. But at the time I didn't want you to rush in to this kind of thing. Plus it was highly likely we would never see each other again regardless. It was something that was on the mind when I figured out who you really were. You see, I'm a coward when it comes to interacting with others. But I'll do it if push comes to shove. Still...I'm no good at relationships."

"You seem to be doing just fine so far...we're talking a lot more right now than I have ever done with anyone else in my life. If things are always like they are right now then...I mean as long as we keep being honest with each other..." Marle said as she held my arm against her. "Crono, I mean it. I know we're still learning about each other and that what I feel for you could just be a lot of things culminating together. But I want to believe that the connection we've shared so far is real. And until I'm shown otherwise, I want to selfishly call you my boyfriend."

"I know what you're saying," I said with a smile. I was glad she wasn't just accepting things at face value. She knew very much that we were still new to each other, but at the same time it seemed like she was staking claim on me. I was fine with that...I kinda liked the fact that Marle had been somewhat possessive of me. "But we'll take this one step at a time. Face each problem as they come...thats all we can do. And along the way we'll get to know each other better. And we'll figure out if this storm of a romance is real or not."

"If it does work out, it would be a great story to tell," Marle grinned. Though it would be a heck of a story to tell even if it doesn't.

"Alright we're all set here," Lucca said as she came from behind us. "I bottled up as much water as I could...but I suppose depending what we find, at the other dome, will determine our next move."

"So you guys really don't want to think about where we are? Or when we are?" Marle asked us. I gave a slight shrug.

"We want solid proof more than anything," Lucca said. She sighed and looked to me. "No signs of wildlife?"

I thought about it for a moment. The signs I had observed around our location gave some odd results and just more questions, "No signs of usual wildlife."

"Huh? What do you mean Crono?" Marle was definitely concerned with how I had phrased it.

"There _is_ life...but what it is...I can't tell based on what I've seen. My guess, whatever it is, only passed by here looking for food...found nothing and moved on," I shrugged and moved a couple steps forward. "Either way we can't just stay here. Water is one thing but we won't last too long on just the rations that Lucca brought."

We started walking towards the next dome in the distance. The thing that was most unsettling about this environment is that we were continually covered with clouds...sun light never managed to get through...but Lucca had speculated that it wasn't just clouds...but also smoke and ash that filled the sky. As we had been there we had seen several indications that the land itself had been scorched. It explained why things hadn't been growing but usually over time an event like that...would usually give way to new life...but like we had all discussed before...the atmosphere felt off...something about it felt like everything was prevented from even taking root, much less grow. That was just how it felt to me...not that it was necessarily the truth.

After a few hours we got to the dome faster than we expected. As we approached there was a sign above the entrance, "Trann Dome?"

Lucca pushed up her glasses, "Hopefully this place is in better working order than Bangor Dome. Still lets see what we can find."

We walked in and took it cautiously but we found ourselves in a rather large area with...people. Actual people...but there was something instantly wrong about the whole thing. They all looked to us for a moment and seemed just as shocked as I was at the moment. A man approached us seemingly calming the other people by him taking charge of the situation.

"I'm Edward, what business do you have here," his tone was cautious. I understood why. Everyone here were in rags...and what I meant is that they simply covered them but it was obvious they didn't have a means to properly clothe themselves. Considering there was no foliage...that meant no livestock which meant no material to make clothing. But...there was no way they could be living here right? They had no way to grow food or hunt food...and...

"We're travelers that have lost our way. We were hoping you could tell us more about the area," Marle spoke...which was probably for the best. She was a Princess so social interactions were likely something she was well versed in. Still she was also shocked by the state of things but she was managing to be the diplomatic voice and was already making it clear that we weren't a threat to them.

"Travelers?" the term sounded foreign coming from Edwards mouth. Still he seemed to ease up at this news that we were travelers...though it was obvious it was a concept that didn't happen often. "Well...this is Trann Dome. There is not many of us here, but I'm unsure of how we can help you."

"How is it that you all live here? It doesn't seem like it is comfortable..." Lucca said without real thought. It was hard to not make comments about the way it looked. For one it seemed like they all lived in the main area...there were other doors but this was obviously the main living area. Were there no showers and what about food?

"Comfortable?" he gave us an odd look. The question of the word comfort told me more than anything he could say. "We have the Enertron. It's all we need to live."

"Enertron?" I asked. "What is that exactly?" Obviously it was really the answer to how they were managing to get by.

"You don't know? It be better to show you," Edward said as he indicated for us to follow him. We did so moving past several individuals. They were alive sure...but they didn't seem to be living. No...this was just existing. I could feel something uncomfortable building in myself.

He took us over to a large device on the far side of the room. "It be best to experience it to understand. Step on in." As he said this a hatch opened and swung out...it was definitely more than enough for someone to seat comfortably inside.

I shared a glance with the girls and then as instructed I sat inside of it. The Enertron door closed and after a moment I was enveloped in some sort of mist and...did something puncture me? I couldn't tell but just as soon as it started it was over and the hatch opened. I stepped out and...I felt... rejuvenated? But it was odd cause I hadn't eaten anything and...yeah...I was definitely still hungry. But I'm pretty sure it had punctured me too...I'm pretty sure there was something going on that happened so quickly that it didn't register. I looked to the girls as I stepped out. "I feel well rested and...well it feels odd."

"The Enertron gives you everything your body needs," Edward stated.

"Everything?" Lucca was skeptical. "May I?"

Edward nodded as Lucca entered the Enertron next. The hatch closed and then only a moment later it opened back up and Lucca stepped out. She was looking at her arms and legs...she knew something had happened.

"I see what you mean, Crono," Lucca definitely had energy again. "Marle you should step in as well." Lucca pulled out her scanner from before as Marle stepped in. She held it over the device.

"Should I be worried?" Marle asked me.

I shook my head, "It's fine...you'll understand what we mean in a moment."

Marle nodded as I closed the hatch for her. Then came the sound of the Enertron running and then the hatch opened once more. Marle looked back at me, "That's...weird."

"Hmm...it appears the Enertron essentially infuses you with all your needed nutrients. But not just that but it scans you first to determine what you need and then essentially fixes what it believes to be a problem," Lucca said as she must have been monitoring the process of the Enertron. Just what was she capable of doing with that scanner of hers?

"I see so the body doesn't need to eat to get what it needs with the Enertron," I said.

Lucca nodded, "However the human body is programmed to ingest food to get those nutrients. Just because your body has what it needs via another method does not cancel out those functions of our body. As a matter of fact it can cause several other problems."

"Oh...so even though they don't technically need to eat...you'll still be hungry...that can't be easy," Marle said thoughtfully.

"It sounds like torture," I commented looking at the Enertron. The digestive system needed something to digest...like Lucca said...not having something to eat can cause problems. This...was no way to live.

"It is a pain you get used to," Edward said who had respectfully let us experience it. "Where did you all come from?"

"It is far off from here," I said simply. More than likely I didn't expect him to care too much about it. He was probably just curious. Judging from what I've seen they had no desire to even attempt to improve their situation. "Do you all not have the ability to grow food?"

"Grow?" he didn't seem to understand what I meant. "Well...Arris Dome has food and they are to the northeast. But to get there you'll have to get past the ruins of Lab 16. It is highly populated by mutants."

"Mutants?" I ask.

"I don't know much about it...but its full of creatures that were affected by...well you know," he shrugged. "It's a rough route to travel. You might want to talk with Lars over there. He makes trips to Arris dome to try and keep us supplied with medical needs. At any rate you folks seem okay to me...though I don't think I've seen people as...well you have unique clothing."

"Thank you, we appreciate your hospitality," Marle said with a well practiced bow. He gave a strange look before turning to head to a woman in a corner, whom he started speaking with.

"I guess that is one problem we don't need to worry about," I said as Lucca was still examining the Enertron.

"What do you think would happen?" Marle asked me.

"With things as they are, I wouldn't have put it past survivors being aggressive and attacking on sight when encountering anyone else. But this...is the opposite of that," I shook my head. No...it was more like any hostility they could have had just...wasn't there. Like they had no energy to put in to...well anything. It wasn't like they didn't have the energy...what they were missing was drive. They had no desire or goals. I was starting to feel sick to my stomach by these thoughts.

"No...its worse," Lucca said as she put her scanning device back in her bag. "This isn't a society trying to recover...this is one that has given up on living. They are simply going through the motions...as if something is preventing them from trying to...I don't know..."

"Live," Marle provided. "It's fear...they are afraid to live. That's why we didn't see anyone outside...they won't even leave the Dome's..."

I saw that most of them were talking in hushed voices...I had a feeling that no one here would be able to give us the answers we needed. Still at the very least we had a lead on a place that might have actual food, and if they went there to get needed supplies it might be a much better hub and better populated. "Lucca, any way we can pull information from the machines or..."

"Like a computer?" She looked over and I nodded in confirmation. She shook her head, "No good. My scans picked up a wide area network connection that seems to control the dome's various climate and energy consumption systems but doesn't seem like there is access here. We could go to the maintenance area but without a password the system would just lock me out. From my readings the system is meant to lock up if anything is tampered with and then reset back at the main facility, which I believe is Arris dome that Edward talked about."

"Whoa, you managed to learn all that from your device?" Marle was impressed. Honestly I only understood the fact that we needed to head to Arris dome either way.

Lucca pushed up her glasses once more, "Most of it I learned from Bangor Dome, but a quick scan shows that this place is the same. Seems like they felt a centrally controlled system would be the best way to manage it. And maybe it was when it was set up." I knew what she was getting to...some event occurred to leave the world as it was...and I doubt it would have been something that anyone could have prevented.

"Save your speculations...let's find out the truth of what actually happened," I waved off the subject as I moved over to the man that Edward has said to be Lars. "Excuse me, Lars. I was told you knew how to get past the ruins of Lab 16."

"Huh? The Labs?" he gave a puzzled look and seemed to inspect me for a moment. "No trick to it, just cross 'em and avoid being killed by the mutants. Once past the ruins you'll see Arris Dome, clear as day. Biggest Dome in the world after all."

At the very least, Lars seemed to have more life to him than the other residents of Trann Dome. "Where are the Lab 16 ruins anyway?"

"Head to the North...there is a road that goes through the Lab but...Mutants tend to look out more for scavengers but will attack you if you get too close...and watch for the rats too...they have a tendency to try and take anything they can from you." Lars warned. Wait...so rats have sticky fingers or something? I could hardly imagine being pick pocketed by a rat.

"Thank you for the help," Marle said with a curtsy.

"You guys are strange," he shook his head. "If you make it to Arris dome, tell the girl Lana that I'm okay. And that I won't be back for a while. Wouldn't want her to worry about me."

"Not a problem," I said before we gave a nod of goodbye and walked towards the exit of the dome. Marle and Lucca weren't too far behind me...Marle staying close to me. As we left Trann Dome and back to the outside world I couldn't help but feel the chill...and sense of dread that seemed to cover the world. "So at least there are some people that are doing...something...whatever that might be."

"Yes but it is hardly much of a society at this point. Just a group of people that are just...surviving. They aren't living, Crono," Lucca was quick to point out.

"Maybe all they need is a reminder of how to live," Marle spoke in a soft tone next to me. This whole area was definitely a shock to her...living as a Princess in that castle had probably limited her exposure to a lot of problems people had...but this was worse than even that...this was a place with people that literally had nothing...surviving only by a technology that could run out at any given time. This was a land...a place with no hope of a future...a land desolated with death. There was nothing much worse than this.

At the same time, thanks to the Enertron I felt invigorated in a strange way. Fortunately we still had some rations from Lucca if we really felt the need to chew on something but at the same time, we should conserve as much as we can until we had a clearer picture on what we were dealing with. "So, is our plan to head to Arris Dome then?"

"I believe we should," Lucca said as she was putting her scanner away into her bag. "Arris Dome seems to be a central location and we might be able to get a better idea of this place. Plus if they have the equipment I might be able to find another Gate."

"So we can head to another time period?" I was a bit skeptical about this. "Is jumping through these Gates the best thing to do?"

"I think we need to find out why the world became this way before anything else," Marle commented and moved next to me. "If this is our future then..." she stopped. I could understand that...if this was the future of the world...how could we really just live our lives knowing that one day humanity would live in such a state where there is no desire to even live?

"Okay, for now we'll head to Arris Dome and try to gain as much information as possible. After we have a better understanding...then we'll make a decision on our next action," It was a tentative plan, but the best we could do with what little we knew. "So we head up and through Lab 16. Once we arrive, we're supposed to head straight east in order to make our way through." I pulled out my katana for a moment and inspected the blade, it was still fine for now, but if we went against these mutants they talked about then I'd have to pay close attention to it. Repeated battles always brought increased risk of a sword breaking. That was something I couldn't allow to happen if I was going to protect both Marle and Lucca. As tough as the two girls were, they were not trained for close quarters combat. Not to mention there was no telling how long it would take to get through Lab 16.

Marle walked next to me as we headed north to Lab 16. Lucca wasn't too far behind either. This situation was somewhat awkward now that I thought about it. The relationship between Marle and I was definitely more than friends, essentially we're dating without putting anything too official on it. Well scratch that...we were dating, no point in trying to give myself a way out just because I was worried about things going wrong. She deserved me to put in an honest effort to our relationship. On the other hand there was Lucca, who was my childhood friend, and had come to help Marle to get me out of prison. Though I think her plan originally was to do it herself. Either way, they both sacrificed their futures to help me. I felt responsible for getting all of us to a better situation. This place, this future, was definitely not where we wanted to be. It was a place I wanted to take both of them away from. Not to mention there was an odd tension between Marle and Lucca that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

The stench of death in the air certainly didn't help. It was more than that though, as if there was just a continuing presence of dread that seemed to wrap itself around us as we walked. The wind only brought chills. It was like the world itself had given up on life...not just its inhabitants. If this was the future of our world, I could only imagine what could have led to it being this way. A part of me didn't want to know. However, figuring out a solution for our immediate situation came first.

The ruins of Lab 16 gave off a different atmosphere than the name implied. It looked less like any sort of lab or research location and more like a city. Remnants of large buildings that must have stretched high into the sky had collapsed to the ground. Evidence of a road that was now fragmented and eroded as we made our way through. Strange poles with what looked like sources of light that no longer functioned scattered about. Everything around us showed that at one point it had been a high populated area. On a few occasions I would spot a rat or something else, waiting along the shadows...looking for us to have a moment of weakness. I hadn't thought about it when we had entered Lab 16 but now that we were in it there was no stopping until we were safely past it. Mutants, I hadn't seen one clearly yet...but they were there. They didn't seem to want to attack until they had an opportunity.

I stopped as we came down a long section of road. There was no mistake...this was an ambush point. Suddenly they were all around us. There was no time to think. I started running. I pulled out my sword. "Stay behind me!" I called out to the girls as I ran. I had to assume they were behind me, but I had no time to look and make sure. The mutants were moving to attack. There were several...maybe a dozen...perhaps more that sprang out to try and attack us. That was why we had to move. I was not ready to fight a battle of attrition when there could be many more waiting to pick up the scraps. Slowing down to attack would only be a mistake on our part...allowing other mutants to get the drop on us after winning one battle. But why us? Why attack us? The one we talked to before had obviously crossed this place before. But he knew this area...and unlike them...we stood out. Out clothes were brighter, unique, my red hair probably didn't help either. I suppose we were an attractive target.

I gripped the hilt of my sword with both hands as I continued to run...a group of three mutants...larger ones moved to block our escape. How long had it been since I had used one of my techniques?

 _"Tell me, my son. Where do you think a soldier gets their strength from?" Mom asked as she stood across from me...a sword in her hand._

 _"Skill, and determination," I replied as I prepared to defend myself. When she came at me she came at blinding speed striking again and again with me barely able to deflect her strikes._

 _"True enough...both skill and determination can take you far as a knight of Guardia. But determination means nothing without the heart behind it. It was not merely determination. What do you need to be determined?" Mom paused only for a moment before continuing her attack on me._

 _"Belief...faith..." My mind came across another word. "Passion."_

 _Mom smiled, "That is the secret to our family, what sets us apart from soldiers. We don't defend this land because of honor or obligation. Our family defends only what we cherish most. Our passion drives us, motivates us to act. It fuels us, empowers us. And with that behind you..."_

"That's right..." an energy coursed through my hands and into my sword. "Slash!" I swung outward...energy traveling along the ground...but as it passed each mutant...it was as if blades erupted from the ground striking the mutants in our path and slicing through without resistance. The mutants fell to the side...regardless if they were defeated or not, I moved past them and pressed forward.

Passion, as Mom had put it, that fuels our abilities and power, its our emotions. Powerful emotions resulted in greater power...supposedly. Passion was a powerful emotion a collection of different emotions in fact, and that would always make us better. The secret of our family is we became better when our emotions took over. Not exactly something most people would be told to do when practicing a discipline like sword fighting. Right now...my desire to protect Marle and Lucca and get away from this place was driving me.

"Crono! Up ahead, strike the end of that building as hard as you can! I'll take care of the rest!" Lucca yelled from behind me.

I didn't hesitate...I sprang forward, willing more energy into my sword. I knew what Lucca would do...I swung hard as more energy gathered at my feet, and I moved with quick speed hitting the side of the building as I whipped around again and again...and then Lucca added fire. It enveloped the blade of my sword...this was..."FLAME WHIRL!" both Lucca's and my own voice called out as I destroyed the side of the building with our combine techniques. The building shifted...I ran, with Lucca next to me and Marle now ahead of us. Behind us the large building lost a key supporting structure and fell collapsing on our pursuers. We didn't stop our sprint until we saw nothing coming after us. After a time...we finally came to a stop to catch our breaths.

We could see it in the distance...Arris Dome. I couldn't help but wonder...how many battles laid ahead of us. And what horrible truth could be waiting in store within Arris Dome...the truth of this world with only remnants of life.

* * *

There was a significant amount of people residing in Arris Dome. Unfortunately...the situation here was no better than Trann Dome. There was little movement in response to us as we made our way further in to the Dome. We came to what felt like a bit of a courtyard type area. While we had been watched by a lot of people...it wasn't until we got further in that and older man approached us.

"You there, may I inquire as to where you came from?" He was easily the oldest among the ones around. And the way he approached us and the other residents seemed to be silently watching...he must have been the leader of the survivors here. Survivors...I noticed in the corner was a Enertron. Were they dependent on that device here as well?

"We came from the laboratories to the west," Lucca gave a simple answer. True enough.

"You came through Lab 16? How did you get past the mutants?" he asked.

I scratched the back of my head, "Well they attempted to ambush us. So in order to get away we collapsed one of the buildings onto them. It seemed like a good solution at the time. I suppose that will block off the route between you guys and Trann Dome though."

The older gentlemen smiled and shook his head, "You've nothing to apologize for young man. I'm glad to hear that you were able to make it through. Are any of you hurt? Ah, where are my manners. My name is Doan. I am a descendant of the Director of this Info Center."

"Info Center?" Lucca had already been looking for a computer or something similar since we had arrived but...maybe it was just in a different area. "Wait...descendant?"

Doan nodded, "Yes, my Grandfather was the original Director."

"So you're entering the fourth generation that has lived in this dome?" I asked.

"Indeed. The mutants combined with the mechanical guards below has made it difficult for us to change anything...we do what we can to keep the status quo as it is. From what I've heard there is a computer as well as a storage center for food down below us," Doan took a moment and looked to me. "Perhaps it would be too much to ask strangers such as yourselves."

"If we do, do you mind us taking a look through the computer?" this might be the only way to find out what really happened...if Doan had been their leader since his Father died...then likely his son would go on to lead after him. They were locked in a stalemate...as he said...they had struggled just to keep the status quo. We could break it though.

"Really?" a woman approached us. "My husband went down to find the food storage area below. Please if you see him then..."

"Don't worry," Marle approached the woman and took her hand in her's. "We will search for him."

"Thank you," the woman said.

"Truly, anything you can find out will be of benefit, thank you," Doan gave us a slight bow. "It does my heart good to see such spirited young people for a change. Please, be careful down below. And come back alive."

Doan led us to an opening. I went down first, followed by Lucca and Marle. The path split into two direction...but a sign clearly displayed that food storage went to the left...and some sort of maintenance area? The writing was muted out from the sign. We stood at the split for a moment.

"Lucca, why would robots fight off humans from coming down to the food storage room?" I figured if anyone had a theory about it...it would be her.

She pushed up her glasses, "My guess would be control. Likely no one here knows what happened in the past...but if there was an apocalypse event...the ones in control of supplies had all the power. And an easy way to keep that power is to control the source. Possibly the one responsible changed the robots protocols or even removing the friend or foe programming...instead opting to attack anyone that got close. It's just a guess. I would need time and access to their memory to know for sure."

"I see...I guess even in a time like this people would still insist on having power over others," Marle spoke softly next to me. "So we're going to be attacked as soon as we approach the food storage area, right?"

"More than likely. Still, everything here is dilapidated and old...rusting. The robots are likely not as effective as they used to be. What do you think, Lucca?" It looked as if Lucca had already been crunching numbers.

"If Doan's family only gives up the leader position at death then if we factor that in along with lifespans are likely less due to dependency on the Enertron...I would say the robots have between a 30 to 50% less effective rate after years of disrepair and general degradation of internal parts. Assuming they don't have a means of self repair." Lucca put her scanner away and shrugged. "Either way, we still want to see what we can do right?"

I nodded, "If we do nothing...then we won't find out anything. This status quo is definitely something that can't be left the same." I pulled out my sword and started walking towards the food storage room. A door opened as we approached and opened to a wide area...from the looks of it...this was where people were attacked at...there was plenty of evidence to show...many people had died over time trying to get to this room. Were...we being too hasty coming here?

The moment we stepped in...alarms screamed and a huge mechanical...being? It came down from the ceiling and landed in front of us, hell if it had dropped a second later it would have landed almost on top of me. It shook my balance but I recovered. The door slammed shut behind us...I guess there was no turning back...and likely meant that any that came down here...never went back up. "You two back me up! I'll try and keep his attention." I called back as I charged forward. Well...I had fought Lucca's robot's in the past...but something this big? Definitely new to me.

I pushed myself as fast as I could as I saw the large...was that an eye? No it was a camera...definitely its optics equipment. That's what Lucca had called it before, right? I am so not ready to be facing robots that were actually trying to kill me. And as if it wasn't enough to have the big one to worry about...two more robots came flying down from the ceiling...although they were small by comparison...but the moment they dropped down, they attacked. Lasers...really? As if it wasn't crazy enough that there are robots...now they are shooting lasers and...you know I should really stop thinking about how nuts everything is considering I've already done time travel and altered time just to save a girl. And now we got to this place, which is likely the future through yet another Time Gate, and...oh crap I need to be dodging right now.

I dived off to my left as the two smaller robots fired again and come close enough that I can feel the heat from the bright yellow orange lasers. Hell I don't know what color it was, it blinds me for a few seconds before I finally come sliding to a stop. "Lucca! Don't you ever add lasers to your robots!"

"Noted. Keep moving! I'll see if I can't figure out where the power source for the optic sensors are. Marle, see if you can't help out Crono somehow," Lucca said it more than loud enough for me to hear as I was jumping off to my side as the the two smalling flying...bits? Can I call them bits? I'm gonna call them Bits.

I landed back on my feet as one of the Bits swung towards me, but was pelted by bolts from Marle's crossbow and sent it spiraling hard into the wall. Fortunately Marle was pretty fast on her reload but it still took time. The remaining Bit turned towards her but the moment it diverted attention away from me I jumped towards it and stabbed my katana into its back and then slamming it to the ground. The bigger robot was not impressed by this. It charged up and released its own laser...straight at Marle. I had already been moving towards her after subduing the last Bit and tackled her to the ground and the laser drilled right into the wall past us.

"Crono, above the optic eye where the laser came from. There is a panel there, get that open. If it can use a laser that means there is a power source leading to it," Lucca was close by but there wasn't much time as I got back to my feet. Not even having time to check if Marle was okay.

I started running towards the robot. Yeah...once more towards the thing that can fire a laser from its eye...great idea. Naturally, as I'm busy worrying about it, the robot starts to charge it. I dive off to the right so that when it fires the girls won't be in the line of fire. I then see a decent path...assuming I don't get myself killed by lasers in the process. I jump up onto a pipe from the wall and kept up my momentum up to the side of the wall, then got as close to the wall as I could before vaulting off and towards the robot as it fired its laser again. I slammed my katana into the panel that Lucca had indicated and came to a stop. I used my katana as an anchor and reposition myself before tearing off the panel itself. Of course by doing so I lost the thing that kept me anchored up there and I stumbled back and down to the ground.

As soon as I was clear, Lucca and Marle pelted the exposed circuitry with everything they could. There was a loud noise as electricity sparked and then it stopped moving at all. I just stayed on the ground and looked up. It was the moment when I realized that the laser must have singed my shoulder, because it hurt...a lot.

"Crono!" Marle was in my view now. "Hold on, let me see it...I can fix this." She sounded somewhat panicked...I wasn't too worried about it. But then...her hands glowed and...my burn disappeared and the pain along with it.

"I...whoa, how did you do that?" I sat up and Marle gave me a smile. "Some sort of royal family secret?"

She shook her head, "Nothing like that, it's just if I concentrate I can heal. It's like...an Aura. You were only scratched so it wasn't that bad. I was always discouraged from using it because, well, it isn't something that is normal. I can't do it all the time...it wears me out after a while if I do it too much."

"Well, its nice to have but we shouldn't rely on it, right?" I chuckled. "It's likely similar to the techniques I use."

There was probably a lot of questions about it...but it wasn't outlandish or anything. There was plenty of history records that indicated that magic had once been quite common. And likely Marle's family line had something to do with her talent...maybe. Her family had led Guardia for a thousand years after all...well maybe even longer than that...although the future of the world may not be very bright if this time period was anything to take to heart.

Meanwhile Lucca had climbed up to the open panel on the robot and was now chucking out different parts. I guess we were still locked in the room at the moment. "Aha, found it," Lucca said as she seemed to yank something from the robot as I was getting to my feet. Then the doors opened and Lucca jumped down...now covered with grease from the machine.

A weird thought came into my head, "You know they have the Enertron...but from the looks of it I don't think they really shower or bathe..."

Lucca looked at herself for a moment, "Likely the Enertron also acts as a sanitizer. It didn't seem that anyone was sick. Still these robots aren't too far off from my own designs...at least in terms of their inner workings. Their power source is incredibly more efficient. I mean it would have to be to be able to use lasers as a weapon as effectively as it does. Either way we should check the refrigeration unit." She didn't seem too concerned to have herself covered in grease. Actually she wouldn't be...that's how she usually ended up when working on Gato or any number of her other inventions.

"Crono, are you okay?" Marle asked me one more time as we headed to the door behind the now defunct robot.

"Are any of us?" I sighed. "I don't feel anything from that injury if that is what you are asking. But I'm kinda worried about finding out about where...and when we are."

"Yeah...me too," Marle said as she took my arm and we walked into the next room. The moment we went inside we were bombarded by a horrible smell that was nearly enough to make me vomit.

Either way we all took a look around the room. Lucca shook her head, "Everything's completely rotten. Looks like the refrigeration failed a while ago." She was holding her right arm over her nose to try and mask some of the smell.

"Wait is that..." Marle was on the far side of the room. There was a blanket covering something...she moved it and she screamed and stumbled back. I quickly made my way to her. There was a man underneath the blanket she had moved and he was clearly dead. Guess it explained how the smell was so bad in here. It wasn't just rotting food but the smell of death mixed in. "Passed away long ago, I suppose..." Marle had regained her composure enough and looked closer. "Hold on, he's holding something."

"Here, let me," I stepped passed her and knelt down by the body. The moisture in this room certainly hadn't done any favors for this guys body, but I grabbed the folded up paper from his hand. I moved away from him and slowly unfolded the paper. Good thing I did as a few objects fell into my hand. The light wasn't the best but it wasn't hard to tell what it was. "Seeds...a few different ones."

"So he managed to get in here but he couldn't get back?" Lucca was speaking softly.

"Yeah, looks like he took a hit through his stomach. I doubt it was the most pleasant of ways to go," I scratched my head as I looked at the paper. "Looks like he left a message for his wife. Dear Elma, I had hoped to at least see you once more but it looks like I won't be making it back. Everything down here is gone and I only managed to get here by tricking the robots, but I got injured and trapped inside as a result. If anyone makes it in here, please take these seeds back to the Elder. Plant them for our future. We can't assume that the Enertron will continue to last. It will take time and careful planning to grow food and make enough for everyone to survive on. I know it will be rough, its been a long time since our people have planted anything, but look after it every day and I'm sure it will work. Elma, I love you and, of course, our amazing daughter, Heather. I hope you and her will find a way to keep pressing forward. Look after the seeds until they grow. I wish I could be there with you. I'm sorry. Love Always, Darrel."

I put the seeds back and folded the paper up again before placing it carefully into my bag.

"Let's go check out the maintenance area before heading back to the surface. Maybe we can find that computer that is supposed to be down here," Marle spoke as she turned away. I moved behind her and wrapped my arms around her. She leaned back into me. "Please, lets keep moving...I don't want to think about it."

"Yeah, me too," I said as I separated from her and left the food store room and past the downed robots and back out to the original junction. After making our way back we went towards the maintenance area and came to a door and next to it was some sort of terminal.

"Leave this to me," Lucca pulled out her scanner and approached the terminal. Marle stood next to me...but was gazing at the floor.

"I want to keep a positive outlook, but the people here," She shook her head. "Just what kind of life is this?" Marle said it as a whisper, and I only heard it because I was so close to her. "They live here...but robots killed anyone that approached the food storage? Meaning everything in there, it all went wasted. They were so close to it and yet couldn't get to it."

"Yeah, its frustrating. More than that...it doesn't look like any of them living here know how to fight. I know its hard...but we need to know the truth of this place. If this is our future...then maybe we can..." I stopped as Marle looked to me.

"I got it," Lucca announced as the door to the maintenance area slid open. "Looks like all of this leads to a central Information and Control center. We should be able to find more significant answers there. I'm not sure exactly what we'll find but its the best bet that we have."

I nodded, "Be careful. It's highly likely that more robots are defending the maintenance area." Marle was quiet...if anything way too quiet. The only thing I could do for her was support her for now...we needed to find the Information and Control center so that hopefully we could find some answers...maybe some that we very much needed. Or we felt we needed. Still as we stepped into the corridor it eventually led past a bunch of pipes. It all seemed rather elaborate...just what was this place supposed to be? We moved and entered a much larger area...on the far side there was a door and over it was clear markings of the Information and Control center. But the moist air and smell of metal made it apparent that something had gone wrong in here.

"More robots," Lucca noted as she moved past and towards one that wasn't moving at all. She still had her scanner out and ran it over the robot. Then she pulled on its head. "Rusted, badly...I think everything in here is. Looks like there was a water leak...it had to have been years ago...the air here is definitely thick with moisture...hurry up we have to make sure the computer is safe." Lucca didn't wait and vaulted around the robot and headed to the door in the distance.

Marle was quick to follow with me bringing up the rear. I took a quick look around...it was like she said...everything was rusted...it might have been a decade or more ago when the water leak occurred. Which means the refrigeration unit might have slowly gone out over time...and no one knew where to look to fix it. Where had all the maintenance technicians gone then? Lucca got to the door and ripped something off a panel and stuck her hand in. I'm not sure what she did but the door opened and she disappeared inside. I followed in behind Marle.

Instantly there was a change...the air was different and when we entered the door behind us closed. A couple lights turned on and Lucca was walking forward. I saw it...a large screen was on the back wall, and several smaller screens sitting on the top of numerous keyboards and other buttons on the large terminal. Lucca went up to it and touched the keyboard and the monitors all came to life. "Seems like this room was sealed with its own ventilation system. They were likely worried of moisture getting inside. Give me a moment to familiarize myself with it."

"I've never seen anything like it. What's it called?" Marle asked strolling up to where Lucca is as she seemed to be navigating through various menus.

"It's a computer," Lucca provided while pushing up her glasses. "My Grandfather built the first computer before I was born. He literally had an entire room filled with it, just to make simple calculations. Over the years with the help from my Father they managed to condense it significantly. To the point where my scanner I have with me is essentially a mini-computer. We used it to help with the more complex calculations, and its how I program Gato and his functions, and naturally the calculations needed for the telepod. The Guardia Family has ordered us to keep it secret and continue to develop it along with newer inventions."

"Knowledge is a dangerous power. And in our world that is populated with monsters and neighboring kingdoms that may or may not be potential enemies." The truth of it was obvious and I think Marle understood the implications we were making. "It makes trusting that knowledge to be more widespread to be questionable. Either way that is what makes Lucca's family so valuable to the Guardia Throne. And why her family is given a bit of freedom to what they can do," I added explaining it to Marle.

"I see...and considering how hard it has been for us over the history of our Kingdom...we want every advantage we can have. There were several times in our history where we nearly were wiped out. So Lucca's family are really the only ones capable of using these computers?" Marle seemed rather curious about the whole deal.

"What!?" Lucca was suddenly typing furiously. "This computer is built using the same programming language made by my Grandfather. This operating system is essentially the same as what I use at my house. Let's see, I can bring up all the available programs...looks like this holds a bit of data. And its..." She stopped. She looked at the screen. "This is the year, 2300AD."

"2300?" I echoed. "So...I guess this is our future then." Marle wordlessly moved to my side and took my arm. "Lucca...where are we?"

Lucca was typing again, navigating screens faster than I could keep up. "Here I'll bring up the map on the big screen...but from the records here...we're...in Guardia."

"Guardia? No..." Marle breathed from next to me. "This...this is what happens to home?"

"Wait there is a file here, 1999, Day of Lavos," Lucca hesitated. "I'll play it on the big screen."

An image of a man in black and red appeared on the screen. _"Greetings. My name is Varick Guardia, descendant of the Guardia line and Director of the Arris Dome facility. It is no longer safe to go outside. The world is either falling apart or still burning from the various impacts. The Dome itself is barely functional as it is. I have my best surviving technicians on it to hopefully keep the Enertrons capable of self repair. However there is also a sickness running rampant and the initial attack wiped out the hospital and most of the doctors. We don't know how it will effect us in the future. But we will push onward for our future in any way that we can. I have gathered here a record of the events of that day. Perhaps one day this record will be of use to someone._ "

The screen flickered and it showed a shot of the whole continent...the ground was shaking...and then...the ground split open...was this really happening? That wasn't it...something emerged...whatever it was, it was colossal in size. It had a shell with what looked like spikes...each one seemingly more massive then the other. Which I knew wasn't possible...but then something happened. A massive amount of energy was released from each and every one of those spikes, firing up into the air. Only to come crushing down onto the Earth. Massive craters were made...buildings destroyed...and the volley didn't stop. Until the video suddenly cut out.

We stood there...dumbfounded as we stared at the screen. After a moment the same man from before reappeared. It seemed like he had more to say. " _It is a being known as Lavos. A name from ancient times when a meteor fell from space and pushed or planet into an ice age. We no longer have the ability to research this being as he quickly burrowed back into the Earth from which he had come from. Please...if you ar...istening t..._ " The image suddenly cut out.

Lucca hit a few keys, "Data corruption. A lot of the data here can't be opened." She said softly...clearly affected by what we had all just seen. "Lavos...it destroys our world?"

"He called himself Varick Guardia...so he is my descendant? And this is what the Kingdom is turned to?" Marle's voice was quivering...she was shaking. Fortunately I was already next to her. I wrapped my arms around her, and she lost her strength. "NO NO NO! Crono...we lasted so long...another thousand years after our time...and for what? To just be obliterated just like that? It isn't just our Kingdom but the entire planet? Crono...No...NO WAY! I refuse to believe it!" She collapsed fully against me, turning and clutching the front of my clothes as I could see tears coming from her face. "I knew it...I knew that we would find out something like this but I...I wanted to be wrong..."

"Yeah...some large creature just pops out of the ground and annihilates the world? What kind of crap is that? If there was ever something to do when messing with time then..."

Marle looked up at me, "Yes, that's it." She quickly wiped her eyes. "There's only one thing we can do. We change history. Exactly like what Crono did when he saved me."

Lucca turned to look back at Marle and I. She nodded, "After coming here...to go back to our own time and just live out or own life would be hard. Knowing what happens at the end. It wouldn't affect us, or even our children, but eventually someone in our families would have to deal with this destruction. Just like we already saw, the Guardia line survives to the day the world comes to an end. This Lavos must also be the reason why nothing grows, and why mutants and creatures run rampant."

"Depending on when he landed he could be responsible for a whole lot more, such as an ice age," I added. "Lucca, I know you were worried about us changing anything before, since you were careful that we just ensure that we restored the original events when we saved Queen Leene. I only wanted to save Marle then, so I didn't care. This is much bigger than that and I don't know what our future holds. But I don't want my children or anyone in my family line having this crap to look forward to."

"I know that," Lucca said as she turned back to the computer. "I wasn't going to object. The problem is where we start at. Unfortunately the archive here is mostly corrupted. And likely there is no data backup that would have been as well protected as here. There doesn't look to be any other information about Lavos here. However I did find something else here." She made a few keyboard strokes and suddenly the big screen showed a map. "Looks like there is some sort of device called a satellite that is in orbit over the planet. With it I can make some scans and maybe figure out a destination for us to head to."

"Are you just being intentionally vague so that I have to keep prompting you to speak?" I said dryly to which she laughed. It was probably a good change in the atmosphere to laugh and joke. Considering what we had just witnessed.

"No sorry, I'm really fascinated by all the technological advances here. Unfortunately with the data corrupted I can't find anything significant to help me. However the scanner on this satellite program seems to be fully functional," while she was talking she was typing something in from some readout from her scanner. "By changing the search parameters to the same frequency of the Time Gates. We should be able to find any other possible Gates we can use. Hopefully one that we can reasonably get to."

"Right, either way we won't do any good staying in this time period," Marle had regained her composure now and looked to me. "So is this what we're going to do? Save the future?"

"Do you want to get married and have kids?" I asked rather bluntly. This made Lucca and Marle both share a look. Marle flushing red. Obviously taking what I had said to a logical step and insinuating I was talking about us. It didn't matter if she thought of it that way but it was more than enough to get my point across.

"Well yeah...of course I do..." Marle answered.

"Like I said, I don't know what our future holds. I do know I want to have the chance to be married and have children. Knowing this future, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night with the knowledge that the future of my family was in danger. I'm not sure how we're going to save the future but we can sure as hell try. What do you think?" I knew there was a lot of problems but having a goal was better than nothing at all. Even if it was vague and we didn't know where to start.

"No, you're right. Crono, Lucca, together we can do this," Marle suddenly smiled. That was definitely an improvement over how she was a moment ago.

Lucca stopped typing, "Alright search parameters are updated. I hope we find something, or its back to Bangor Dome and taking our chances trying to get past the Guardia Military." Lucca hit one last keystroke and the screen immediately started moving. Meanwhile the display that Lucca was in front of seemed to be pumping out results from the scan. "Alright it listed Bangor Dome...and now...its moving past us...looks like there is another part of the continent and...there!" Lucca stopped it and brough up a focus on the map in front of us to a new area. Another Dome. "It's called Proto Dome, and the readings are slightly different but it is definitely another Time Gate. It's consistent with the readings I took from the one in our time. It's a long shot but its on the same continent so its a feasible location for us to get to."

"Crono, thank you. You've done so much for me already. Even to go so far in indulging in my selfish reasons for running away. You too Lucca," Marle bowed to the two of us.

"I had my own reasons too," Lucca admitted. "I was going to break out Crono one way or another anyway. I just knew that Crono wouldn't have liked the fact that your own Father had sentenced a friend of yours to death on a charge that is clearly made to be used against you. That was why when you told me to help you break him out I went along with it. My family has always been loyal to the crown. I don't agree with your Father, but I have faith in you, Princess. To me, being loyal to you is the same as being loyal to the crown. And if you think about it, saving the future is what's best for the Kingdom. Our home."

"Thank you, Lucca. Truly. I hope we can become good friends from here on out," Marle smiled.

I scratched the back of my head, "Hey, we're dating now right?"

She turned to me and then grinned before she stepped up to me and took my hand, "Yes, you're my boyfriend. Not the most conventional start of a relationship..."

I chuckled, "I dunno, I read a few books that involved a runaway Princess falling in love with some village boy. But never one where she went back in time and then the guy had to follow her...find her...then watch her disappear and then in order to stop her from disappearing he had to save that Princesses ancestor to save her...and then he goes back and gets arrested and sentenced for execution..."

Marle was giggling now, "Okay, okay I get it. But that's how this tale starts."

"Yeah, but this future, we can't let happen. I think you put it best," I said looking up at the big screen and the desolate wasteland that showed on it. "I refuse to believe it. This may be someone's future, but I refuse to let it become ours."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **In the game itself there are literally only 8 lines of dialogue in which they decide they are going to change the future. Just 8 lines. Do you know how weird that is to think about now? What sells this scene in the original game isn't that but actually seeing Lavos come out of the ground and rain destruction on the world. Up to this point you've seen people, but you wouldn't call them much of a society. They just look broken. Like they just don't care about anything. The game presents you a world after the world has essentially died. And you don't even know how they manage to survive.**

 **I couldn't just leave things as they are. Right now the three of them are fugitives from their own kingdom but have learned that way in the future, regardless of what they do, and the life they lead...its something that they now know, and would haunt them. Maybe it wouldn't to everyone, but I feel like family lines are very important in the Chrono Trigger world. It seems that way to me, so that's kind of what I've established here. Lucca's family are a line of inventors for the Kingdom, which is more or less how it is in the game. Except they didn't seem to be constrained or restricted in any way...which is odd to me. So I decided to tie it in. Crono is now from a family line that is renowned for its proficiency in battle and capacity to use techniques. Obviously the Techs that he uses in the game...and just for fun I threw in Crono and Lucca's Double Tech.**

 **In general I will only focus on key story fights, so don't expect me to hit every single boss fight along the way, unless I'm using it as a means to advance the story. Same with dungeon exploration. The layout I use will likely be different then the actual game as a means of bypassing a lot of dead space where I would have to figure out something to plug in...and I'm not a huge fan of filler.**

 **I really enjoyed this chapter for a few reasons. Crono and Marle have a moment to realize..."hey we really rushed into this but lets see where it goes" kind of discussion. Considering how the game can't really develop their relationship because of Crono being a silent protagonist gives me a realm of freedom in this department. But I want them to be as believable as I can. That also means building a decent backstory and everything else to go with it. At the same time I'm making Marle see reality in a harsher light to break her down a bit...but instead having Crono to be the one that helps her bounce back to her usual cheerful self. I think its a dynamic that will be important to their relationship as we go forward.**

 **Anyway, thank you all that have reviewed so far. It makes me happy to see people enjoying this as it doesn't seem like many come to the Chrono Trigger section of . Then again its for that reason that I couldn't find a Fan Fiction of Chrono Trigger that I wanted...so I decided to make it myself. I'm a few days late with this update, but I hope to get it up on time for next month. Thank you all again! Let me know what you think and also let me know what you want to see. I'll make sure it gets in. See you all next month with the next Chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 / The Factory**

I held the key in my hand as we walked. Certainly not what I had expected to be given...but it definitely beat walking all the way past the area they referred to as Lab 32. Marle had cheered up significantly. I understood why. After leaving the castle as we did...we had been left without a real purpose or plan for what to do next. By some twist of fate we ended up in the future. One that was desolate...lifeless and people didn't really know what it was like to live. They barely survived as it was. The residents of Arris Dome only lived in a certain section of the Dome...even though in reality the entirety of Arris Dome was the size of a city...but lots of it had fallen into disrepair...likely due to the lack of specialist...and capability of teaching others...things only got worse over time. According to the record...it was 2300 AD now...and the event of Lavos was then 300 years ago. Which meant Doan was likely the fifth or sixth generation and not the 4th like he had said. We wondered how that could have been but what we found out was actually the opposite of what we had thought. The truth was...he WAS the fourth generation. It turns out that somehow the use of the Entertron actually extended their lifespans. With the average lifespan being around 120 years of age. It was an oddity that likely we wouldn't be able to properly explain without knowing the real intricacies of the machine that kept civilization going. Especially since it didn't make sense from a physical aspect. The body needed to digest food...if it didn't...then other problems happened. Although Lucca hadn't been clear as to what could happen...it was obvious that nothing good came from having things in your body that were never used. She also speculated that the Enertron might actually repair that damage as well. She then went on to mumble that if she could take it apart she'd probably be able to figure out the exact reasons as to what it did.

As we had left Arris Dome we said our goodbyes after giving them the seeds. We talked to Elma and gave them to her...and the note from her late husband. We told her the basics of how to take care of the seeds and the best way for them to grow. Elma and Heather listened intently...it seemed like they were intent on fulfilling the wishes of their Husband and Father, Darrel. He might have been one of the few that didn't accept things as they were...and looked to change it. He even did manage to get past the killer robot that was equipped with lasers and into the food storage area. But he hadn't been a fighter...likely didn't have the reflexes needed.

After that we met with a young girl in her pre-teens named Lana. We finally passed on the message about Lars. She thanked us and said she wasn't worried. In our attempts of finding her we learned that Lars was a surrogate Father figure for Lana...and that her own parents had been killed by Mutants on one of the few expeditions to the other Domes. Unfortunately I knew that if we kept digging into the lives of the people here...we would only find one bad story after another. As we went to leave though we were greeted by Doan, the Elder of the Dome. He had given me a key.

"We don't have much but please take this," Doan placed the key in my hand after learning we were heading to Proto Dome. "I keep a Jet Bike there. I used to ride it when I was young, but not much use for it now. It might be a bit of a tight fit but the three of you should be able to ride it. Make it a much easier way to Proto Dome. Lab 32 is a pretty long distance after all."

Naturally we tried to give it back but he was insistent that he owed us. Now that we had cleared the threats down below they could hopefully do something with what was down there. I'm sure they could think of something. Still it wasn't good for us to linger and try to fix or help with every problem they had. We were aiming for this situation to never happen. That would help them more than anything else. Yet at the same time, the three of us couldn't help but want to help the people that were right in front of us. It was hard to see things as they were.

Marle walked next to me, as Lucca was slightly behind us. "I don't like it, Crono," she said softly from next to me.

"Generally I don't think anyone would want to know that the planet they live on will eventually be left in ruin," I shrugged slightly. Lab 32 was getting closer with every minute. "The smell in the air is awful, plants don't grow, and I don't think we've seen the sun more than a handful of times since we've been here. Not to mention having a life that is completely reliant on the existence of a machine isn't exactly the most cheerful thought."

"I couldn't imagine not being able to have food to eat. But I guess, its also because I'm a Princess. I've never had to worry about stuff like that before. What about you, Crono?" Marle asked.

"You mean, have I ever had to worry about not having food?" I asked for clarity and she nodded to confirm. "Probably after Dad died I guess. I was really young and Mom wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't like he ran off on us. Dad was a soldier, a knight of Guardia. Often times he was sent off with supplies being sent off to other parts of the Kingdom. One day, he just never came back. And no one is sure what mission he had be sent on. Mom and I waited patiently for a while. But time passed and soon we were running out of food. I was still young so Mom couldn't just go off and work either. That's when Mom took charge. She offered a day care to take care of the other children and became a teacher, for just about everything. Education, or fighting. So I don't really remember it at the time, but Mom talks about it being a bit rough for us for a while. I was too young. We heard sometime later, a year or so, that Dad had died somewhere between Truce and Porre while escorting a caravan. That was all that was said about it though."

"So your Father, worked for the Kingdom?" Marle seemed to be thinking about something related to that fact.

"Is it really so surprising? Supposedly my family line were once one of the most respected retainers to the Guardia line. I mean, there really isn't way to know that. My family also hasn't been too keen on keeping things written down because we were always warriors. But who knows," I could hardly know what my life would be like without being a warrior. Maybe less training sessions, less running...less being woken up before the first light of dawn. Now that I think about it, I went through some pretty gruesome training. Mom is pretty ruthless when it came to teaching me martial arts and the sword. I wonder what she would say to how things were now.

"Yet, Father, never cared who you were. He would have killed you, even with all that your family has done for Guardia," Marle shook her head. "I won't let that happen. Never again."

I looked back at her for a moment as we were entering the ruins of Lab 32. Fallen down buildings...and structures that I had no idea what they once were. Unlike the previous Labs, there didn't seem to be any Mutants hiding at the entrance. Was there a reason for that? It seemed like an ideal ambush point. "One thing at a time, Marle," I whispered as I focused my senses around us. I knew, more or less how Marle felt about what had happened. But we couldn't let that be a basis of our affection. I had thought about it, but it was more than possible for Marle to stick with me, simply because her Father didn't approve. Still it had likely been a motivator to rescue me. Sure we had an initial spark and I honestly felt like we had really connected ath the fair before everything had gone stupid crazy. I wanted to be cautious though. If our relationship really was going to go anywhere, I wanted to make sure it wasn't for any other reason than our own.

The ruins of Lab 32 was hard to make more distinctive than Lab 16 for a few reasons, but overall the ruins seemed to head to the east over a much greater distance. Still the lack of any Mutants nearby was a little odd. We followed Doan's directions and came to a single garage that looked to be made from the remnants of other buildings. Just as he had said there was a keypad on the corner of it. Lucca inspected it before putting in the four digit code and suddenly the front of this building opened up. Inside was something that none of us had ever seen. This jet bike was certainly something different. Everything in our time was delivered by boat or wagon. Lucca had mentioned on occasion of a concept of a self propelling vehicle but the logistics meant changing the basis of the way roads were built and another problem was that there was a very fragile peace in our time line. So, our progress to something like this was halted due to a stalemate between nations? The thing about this...it didn't have wheels.

"Wait, how does this thing work?" I said as I walked towards it.

Unlike the ruins or anything else around here, the jet bike stood out with a vibrant blue and a lightning bolt type design on the back, was that a fin? Wait, how was this thing floating in the air? And it wasn't even on. Lucca had already pulled out her scanner and was eagerly trying to find out that answer. And likely a few more to questions I hadn't thought of asking.

"This looks unreal. It's like anything else we've seen here," Marle commented as she moved around the other side.

"That's because I look after it," a new voice entered. I turned to see a black man with dark shades and...wait was that wheels on his back? Not to mention he was surrounded by a lot of robots, similar to the ones we saw rusting in Arris Dome. Only these seemed to be well kept. "That belongs to old man Doan. I hope you can explain yourselves."

He didn't live at the Dome? And he didn't seem like the others. But...he also looked a lot different. Still I had nothing to gain from hiding anything from him. "My name is Crono, and this is Lucca and Marle. Doan gave us the key to the Jet Back...quite persistently for helping them clear out the robots that blocked the path below. And you are?"

It was hard to tell what he was thinking because of the dark sunglasses. Instead it was the collection of robots that spoke, "He's THE MAN!"

He chuckled, "Thanks for the intro guys." He walked forward and I heard a very mechanical walk to him. I eyed his legs for a moment.

"Hold on...your..." I started.

"You're bottom half is all mechanical, even your legs?" Lucca stepped towards him.

"More than that, babe. Try everything below my chest. Turns out a lot of things went wrong when I was a kid. And that's all I'm going to say on that. The name is Johnny. Still if you helped old man Doan then you're good in my book," he came closer and didn't seem to mind Lucca's inspection of his body.

"So you don't live in the Dome with everyone else?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Those guys are a little dull if you ask me. Besides the Doc who helped me as a kid showed me the ropes on how to maintain my body, since I'm more machine. So I attached these sweet wheels an me and fixed it so I can ride like the wind. You guys seem to be in a hurry, so how about I give you a proposal? I show you all the way the Jet Bike works and get you moving. In exchange, we have a little race across Lab 32. You get across faster and I get a little excitement for once. What do you say?"

It wasn't a bad deal, and from the way he talked he came across as more of a bored man in a world that was incapable of meeting his expectations. Unlike the others we had met, Johnny had found something he felt worth doing, felt living for. And apparently that was going fast. He had definitely been given a raw deal at birth. Yet someone quite intelligent had saved his life and given him a way to live. The fact that this man, who was around 70% machine seemed more alive than the humans we had met at the Dome's was not something I dismissed. I stepped forward and offered him my hand. "You got yourself a deal Johnny. You show us what we need to know, and I'll give you the best damn race I can give you."

He grinned after a moment, "You better pay attention then. If I'm not satisfied we'll have to go again."

We learned a lot over the next couple of hours. For one, Johnny had captured and reprogrammed the half dozen robots that followed him. According to him most robots had turned on humans almost overnight some time after the Day of Lavos a couple hundred years ago. The number of people capable of reversing such programming were few so there was little that could be done. Mostly because it was suspected that it was manually overwritten over the entire world from a central location. Meaning changing that programming had to either be done robot to robot and then subsequently disconnected it from any remote access or finding the central location and changing it globally. Anyway, that was his words and I couldn't understand a damn thing he was talking about. Lucca seemed to follow it well enough but that was because she knew so much more about how technology and other things worked as she called herself...what was it? An engineer? I think its that. She's just really smart when it comes to this stuff. I was just a fighter.

Marle was definitely fascinated by the whole thing as Johnny led me step by step how to pilot the Jet Bike. While I didn't understand how the Jet bike could hover or move (Lucca did and she was more occupied on that then the actual operation of it) it was relatively simple to actually drive. Control of its direction was used with a wheel and there were two pedals on the floor operated how fast it went or stopped. An accelerator and a brake was what he called them. then there was a lever that determined what mode it was in. It was either Park, Neutral, and Drive. Simple. Johnny just told me it might feel odd at first since I had never driven before. So he had me go out and do a small practice run and then come back. I went out on my own, kinda wanting to make sure I nailed it all before I had passengers and then came back.

As I pulled back in I put the lever into Park and sat their in amazement. The ride had been so smooth and responded instantly to anything I did. So I had been a little jerky at the beginning, but by the time I headed back I had a decent feeling for it. And I really wanted to open up and see how fast I could move it. I could definitely understand Johnny wanting to race. It was exhilarating to be moving in that vehicle. I hoped off.

"You ready to race, brother?" Johnny came up and the two of us high fived.

"I'm ready to really push this thing to its limit," I grinned.

"Yeah! That's what I want to hear. I'm getting pumped!" He smiled. "You get you and your ladies ready. Then let's start this thing."

I moved over to the girls as Lucca was still going over her scanner and Marle seemed to be content watching over her shoulder. "You two ready to go?"

"Definitely, although Johnny and his robots are a lot of fun," Marle bounced over to me and briefly took my hand. "You think if we fix the future things will be better for him too?" I nodded, he was born after the Day of Lavos, which meant his birth might have been stunted for a lot of reasons and resulted in him being as he was. Still the only thing we could do was try. This certainly was not the way we wanted the world to end. A desolate wasteland that was slowly killing off what remained. This was not what I would ever wish for anyone in our own time line. Or any time line.

"I'm sure it will be better for everyone," I said after a moment. "Lucca, you ready?"

"Yeah," She turned and held out something to both Marle and I. "Take these. It should make it easier on your eyes when were going at higher speeds." They were goggles, much like what she often wore when she didn't want her glasses accidentally slipping off her head when she was working on something that put her at an awkward angle, or elevation. I think I remember her hanging upside down in order to work on Gato at one point. It certainly had been interesting to watch her work. I took them and handed one to Marle. She took it and slipped them over her head so the goggles were resting on her neck, and she adjusted her high pony tail to make sure the goggles fit snug before pulling them back down to rest on her neck.

My red spiky hair made it somewhat annoying to get on, but after a few frustrating moments I got it positioned and let the goggles rest on my forehead as I went over to the Jet Bike. Lucca and Marle were making sure all out stuff was on board before getting on to it. Lucca sat as far back as she could, and then Marle in front of her. The last one was me and although the girls were likely somewhat uncomfortable, I had the ability to control things without having to worry about too much. As I settled in I felt Marle's arms around my midsection. I put the key into the Jet Bike and turned it on.

A brief hum followed by the sound of what Lucca called turbines, turning at an alarming speed. I moved the Jet Bike forward and to a line that Johnny had previously said would be our starting line. Johnny rolled up next to us. His body had shifted into that of a bike. It was really strange to see, but the expression on Johnny's face made me realized just how much he was looking forward to this.

"Alright, my man. My buddy John-Bot 7 is gonna count off the start," Johnny said indicating the robot that was standing by. "Don't wuss out on me. We only got one speed on this highway, and its fast."

John-Bot huh? I chuckled, I wish I had time to spend more with Johnny. I'm sure we could become good friends. if we had more time. Time...an interesting concept when you are a time traveler. I pulled down my goggles and set myself up. "Goggles on, you two. Time to go."

"On your marks! Three, two, one! Go!" The Robot's voice boomed as I pushed the accelerator as much as I can. The Jet Bike immediately propelled us forward and down the road.

Johnny was next to us the whole time. I had an odd thought that maybe Johnny would have been at a disadvantage on wheels, as opposed to the jet bike, that floated in the air, but clearly I had been wrong. Then again it isn't like I had really driven much. My entire experience had only included the last few hours of practice and learning basics. Johnny was a seasoned pro and he knew this land better than I ever could. I pushed down further on the accelerator and the jet bike pushed faster.

"This is amazing!" Marle was yelling and tightening her grip on me. I could barely hear her with the wind whipping past us so fast. We pulled ahead of Johnny as we manuevered around a down building. The controls were so responsive at this speed that we could feel the force as we whipped around the ruins and back onto a straight road once more. For a moment I couldn't tell where Johnny was. In no way did I believe we left him behind. After a moment, Johnny was flying over our heads and landing in front of us.

"You'll have to move faster than that!" Johnny yelled back.

I had hesitated for a while but on his prompting I pressed the accelerator down to the floor. The jet bike jumped forward in response. I felt Marle squeezing my mid section tighter in response as we went down the road. It was a clear straightaway as far as I could tell and we caught up on Johnny fast, blowing past him. At least for a moment. He cranked up his speed too and in a moment we were neck and neck.

This moment felt long, as if it would never end. The wind rushed passed as we went faster and faster. We were coming up on the finish line and I kept my focus on the road. I could see his robots at the end with a very visible white line on the road for the finish line. The accelerator was as far down as it could go. We crossed the finish line and I released the accelerator. I relaxed a bit as the jet bike began to slow.

"That was pretty crazy," I said as I looked over my shoulder. Marle was smiling big.

"That was so much fun! Oh, we have to do that again some time," she was smiling. I couldn't quite see Lucca though.

"Lucca, how you doing back there?" I asked.

"Can we come to a stop soon?" Lucca responded shakily. Well I'm not really that surprised with how things had been. More than likely she had been more interested in how it all worked than anything else. She had never done well on the back of a horse when I took her out to ride a couple times, so I wasn't all shocked about this.

"This way," Johnny said pulling up next to us. "My garage is over here."

"Alright, right behind you," I said as I followed behind Johnny and we drove a little ways longer. In about two minutes we got to his garage. And I realized we were on the edge of the ruins. Looks like we had made it to the other side of Lab 32. It probably be better if we didn't rely on jet bike for transportation, considering we would be heading to a different time period and at least here someone could get some use of it. Johnny stood up from his bike...form? Anyway he opened the garage and I pulled the jet bike inside and brought it to a stop. Turning off the engine I hoped out. I helped Marle out and then turned to help Lucca. Instead she came tumbling after loosing her footing and I quickly grabbed her.

"Lucca," Marle was next to us after a moment. "Are you okay?"

"I guess I'm a little weak in the knees. I thought I would be okay since it doesn't really bounce," Lucca grabbed onto me as I helped her onto her feet. She faltered for a moment and instead held onto me. "Sorry Crono, just give me a moment."

I couldn't help it and chuckled, "Same as always, Lucca. But actually you are a bit better off. If we were riding a horse you would have definitely lost your lunch." Well we haven't eaten in a while because of the Enertron usage but that was fine.

Lucca took a few deep breaths and then took a step away. She then took another uneasy step and faltered a bit but Marle quickly helped stabilized her. "You two used to go horseback riding? I'm totally jealous. I used to be able to when Mom was alive. Father didn't like me going any distance away from the castle. It must have been a lot of fun."

"Lucca always enjoyed it at first, and then she'd start feeling sick after a while," I commented as I leaned up against the jet bike. "Still doesn't look like your feeling it as bad. Usually I would have to carry you home afterwards."

Lucca's face went red for a moment, "That was different! You also bounce when riding on a horse, and you were always going too fast!"

Marle frowned, "Crono! Take me horse riding!"

"Yeah, just as soon as your Father doesn't want me dead for kidnapping you," I laughed and scratched the back of my head as Johnny came into the garage.

"That was one hell of a race you put on, my man," Johnny approached and extended his fist towards me. I bumped his fist with my own. "Curious to see the outcome? It was pretty close. I got one of my John-Bots to record the finish. Come over here."

I followed him over to a screen on the far side of his garage where his John-Bot was plugging in to some sort of...terminal? I don't know what it is, I leave that stuff to Lucca. Anyway, he plugged something in and an image of us came up on the screen. It replayed in slow motion as both the jet bike, and Johnny's front tire came to the finish line. And if you blinked you would have missed that the jet bike squeeked in only .23 seconds ahead of Johnny.

"Whoa, we won?" I shook my head. "I was so focused I didn't realize how close you were."

"That, my brother, is the real beauty of the open road. The speed is what I live for, and you pushed me as hard as I could and I couldn't win. Amazing," Johnny was grinning. I guess we made his day...or week, maybe month. "I'll keep an eye on the jet bike, and whenever you want to come back and race, I'll be here. I'll make sure she's good and tuned."

"You got yourself a deal, Johnny. Wish we could stay longer, but we want to make it to Proto Dome before dusk," I said as we shook hands.

"Alright, be careful you three, it can be dangerous on this side," Johnny gave us a final warning before we started grabbing out equipment and walking away. I checked my katana as we were walking. Fortunately Lucca was back to her usual self in no time and didn't need help walking.

"So this Proto Dome is down to the south," I said and noting that we could see it off in the distance. There was another large structure we could see to the North East. "What do you think that is?"

Lucca had been looking through information on her scanner for a while now it seemed. Probably trying to focus on the information she had taken from Arris Dome's computer. "I think it is a factory of some sort, not sure what it had been used for, but the scans I have indicate that it has working power but that is about it."

"No point in thinking about it then," I shrugged. Either way it looked like we were about an hour's walk away from Proto Dome. Then we'd have to worry about any dangers that might be inside of it. Especially if Johnny said no one lived out here. Then again it wasn't like things had been a cake walk since we got here. One problem at a time I suppose.

* * *

After having to cut through half a dozen robots that had attacked us on sight we had made at least the immediate area safe for us. This place was abandoned but didn't look as deteriorated as the others we had seen before. From the looks of it, it seemed like it had been maintained for quite a long time. I wonder why there wasn't anyone living here.

"Looks like there is an Enertron here," Marle called to me from the other side of the room. I walked over to her and sure enough it was an Enertron. And it looked to be in a lot better shape than the one at Arris Dome. Probably because it wasn't being used at all.

"Well that's good. But I can't wait till we can get to a time where we can have an actual meal," I found myself sighing. Hell, if there was anything to hunt then I wouldn't be complaining too much. And I also wasn't willing to see how any of those weird mutated creatures tasted either. As a monster hunter this was just not acceptable.

"Me too," Marle sighed as well. The two of us walked further in to find Lucca. She was looking at some large robot that seemed to be broken, and it was sitting in front of the door that we likely needed to get through. Lucca was on her scanner.

"I think I can fix him," Lucca put her scanner down and turned to us. "The readings for the gate are behind the door, but I'm sure you've noticed that we don't have any power here."

Actually I hadn't but instead I just shrugged, "What does power have to do with going through a door? And why would you want to fix him?"

"Wouldn't it try to attack us like the others?" Marle asked.

Lucca shook her head, "No. Remember Johnny's John-Bots? He said all he had to do was cut off their capability to connect to the global network and then changed their behavior protocols personally. That shouldn't be too hard, plus I can modify my code I use for Gato as the primary behavioral code and then leave most of the original code work intact. With any luck, he'll know a way to get our power back up and able to open this door." She pushed up her glasses. "It might take me some time, though. He's in pretty bad shape."

"It's a better plan than us trying to force the door open. Which I suspect would not go very well," I scratched the back of my head looking at the massive metal door. I had to wonder why something would need to be so well secured. "Well, you get started on that and Marle and I will get a fire going and see if we can't scavenge something from around here."

"Sounds good," Lucca said as she pulled off her bag and started to take out some tools while she was scanning the robot.

I pulled Marle along and left Lucca to herself and her project. We were quiet for a moment until we were further away.

"Lucca, she pities these robots doesn't she?" Marle said softly.

"Well, we spent a long time fighting her creation at the fair, remember? Gato is her pride and joy, and she considers Gato her friend. To Lucca, a robot isn't something that should ever be used against people. I'm sure the whole time we've been in this future she's been keeping a lot to herself. And likely its part of her own motivation to prevent this future. I'm sure its tearing her apart to see all the technology and advances only for it to be used in violence and against people it should be protecting. I'm sure that is what she's been thinking about all this time. I think seeing Johnny was good for her though," I commented as I walked to the side of the dome and noticed a panel that looked like it could be moved.

"Yeah, he was like half robot himself, and knowing that he had been able to save those robots from whatever had happened. I think she was happy to see that. Plus they were kinda funny. It seemed like Johnny's own personality kinda rubbed off on his robots too," Marle giggled next to me and helped me as we both grabbed on the panel and pulled. It resisted us for a moment and then came free sending us both falling to the ground. I quickly pushed the panel to the side and saw a collection of bags inside.

"Looks like emergency supplies," I pulled a few bags out. "Sleeping bags and pillows? Looks like we got a good find." Well there wasn't any food but getting actual sleep would probably feel a lot better than just stepping into the Enertron. I found some scraps of metal on the bottom and I was struck with an idea. "With this I can make a fire pit. We should keep an eye out for Lucca. Odds are she's gonna collapse any moment soon from keeping so much in that head of hers."

"You're really close with Lucca. I think I'm a little jealous," Marle said as she was gathering up the bags. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to date her instead?"

I found myself chuckling at the prospect and shaking my head, "I love Lucca, sure. But we've been together since before I was even capable of remembering. She's family to me. I would call her a sister over anything else. I could never see her in a romantic way. Even thinking about it is kinda weird. Lucca feels the same way."

"So, the two of you have talked about it then?" Marle was smiling but I knew that she was legitimately jealous because she didn't have a childhood friend. If anything most of her time had been spent alone, only surrounded by servants. The relationship between Lucca and I was probably interesting to her.

"Well, sure. Lucca likes to think she runs on logic. And to a certain extent that is true, she has to have everything make sense to her. And if it doesn't then she wants to do everything in her power to figure it out. The same applied to me, I guess," I was picking up the metal pieces as I spoke. "Apparently her Mom had asked if she had ever thought of dating me. So we went out on one."

"Oh? You two went on a date! Now I'm super jealous," Marle was being playful so I couldn't help but chuckle.

"It wasn't anything different than how we had usually been, so at the end of the day we talked because I had no idea why she had wanted to do so at the time. She told me about what her Mom had said but at the end of the day she wasn't sure she felt anything like that for me. Talking to me like I'd take it personally for her not being attracted to me in that way," I shook my head. "I told her we were family, not lovers, and that was just how it would always be with us. She knew that but she also wanted to make sure she didn't have those feelings. To her it was re-affirming what she already knew."

"Are you so sure about that?" Marle's tone threw me off for a moment and I looked at her. "You sound so sure, but maybe you don't see it. It's possible she does feel something for you but she figured out that you don't feel anything for her."

"Even if that's true, it doesn't matter," I shook my head and found myself sighing. That also meant I hurt Lucca then, but there would have been a bigger problem if she admitted to have feelings for me rather than hiding them. "I would still feel the same regardless. She's family, a sister, and I don't think I could see her as anything else. There isn't much I can do about that."

"I know, and I wouldn't want you to," Marle said softly as she was now picking up bags. "You're the one that says you don't dismiss anything or judge right? But you also realize that there are things about your heart that you can't change. You and Lucca both came together and figured out where you stood with your hearts. Even if you both felt differently, in the end you both decided together that it wouldn't work. I'll go set up a sleeping area up near Lucca."

"Yeah, I'll be up soon. I think I'll go get some dirt from outside so I can make a somewhat safe fire pit," I said as I pulled out something else from the compartment. It was a decent size and would easily serve as a bucket. The handle was a bit awkward and was only on one side so I would have to likely grip it from the bottom one it was filled. Before Marle walked away I got her attention, "Nadia." I used her real name.

She turned to me for a moment and looked somewhat puzzled. "Crono?"

"I know what your worried about. You have been ever since you've gotten to know Lucca better. You feel like you've come in and taken something from her, right?" I had certainly noticed it when she had been more mindful of when she grabbed my hand.

She looked away from me. I guess that was a clear enough answer, "You make me feel special, Crono. Truly. No one has ever made me feel the way that you have. So I want to be selfish and I want to have you all to myself. That is how I still feel. Even though we're really only starting with this relationship, I feel somewhat possessive. Yet, Lucca has known you a lot longer and I know that I really want to be friends with her too. I just, want to clear the air with her. I don't want her to hate me if she feels that I swooped in and stole you from her. Maybe it doesn't make a lot of sense to you because you don't feel anything for her. But she could just be keeping it to herself thinking she'd be bothering you with her feelings."

Actually I had considered that a long time ago when we had done that whole business and gone on a date. In the end, we would only hurt each more by trying not to hurt the other. That was why in the end I decided to be completely honest with my own feelings to avoid the whole situation. I might have hurt her feelings then, I knew that. But if it turned out she really did have feelings for me, and I agreed to go out with her then eventually I would have hurt her a whole lot more. I just didn't have those kind of thoughts for her, and that was something I couldn't change. "Do you need some time alone with her?" I asked.

Marle smiled, "Give us like twenty minutes."

"Take your time," I encouraged her before she grabbed all the bags and pillows she could and walked off back to where Lucca was.

I took the bucket and headed outside and sat down. The air was cold, but definitely not one that felt good. I didn't mind cold air, but this atmosphere and just the odd presence felt wrong. Just sitting out here gave me the creeps. But why? How can air feel so stale and dead? How could the soil just not grow anything? Especially when it didn't feel barren and Lucca agreed that it looked like it shouldn't have any problem growing plant life. And yet, nothing grew. Because of that we advised the people of Arris Dome to grow the seeds inside and not in the Earth. Likely there could have been some sort of other life that was actively preventing things from growing. Either way it wasn't worth risking those seeds to find out. Maybe after a couple years when they had more seeds they could attempt it. Hopefully we could do something about this future so it wouldn't even be an issue to begin with.

I think I understood another reason why Marle wanted to clear the air with Lucca. If we were going down this path then there was no telling what we would have to face, or if we could even do anything to change it. And there was also the high possibility that we would die along the way. So Marle didn't want to have any regrets. No, not just her, but all of us.

Just what did lie in wait for us? Lavos caused the whole world to whither and die. Did we really have a chance against something like that? How would we even fight it?

"Well I guess when you are starting down an impossible quest you're going to have nothing but questions to start," I stretched and starting scooping dirt into my bucket. "If I have my way though. I'll make sure this future is full of life again. No matter what I have to do to obtain it."

* * *

"So he's ready to go huh?" I asked as I was putting out the fire in the makeshift fire pit. I had used the spare metal strips from earlier to create a box and filled it with dirt. then after that I had went out and found plenty of wood from long dead trees not too far off from us. The warmth had done us a lot of good, but I would need to get more wood before the next night. Lucca had worked pretty late into the night until I had more or less forced her to take a nap and not just hop in the Enertron. I wasn't sure what kind of effect it could have long term on us since we weren't used to it. Eventually she agreed with me and laid down on one of the sleeping bags that Marle had laid out. I stayed up and kept watch. The front door of the building wasn't exactly the most secure. So I figured one night wouldn't be too bad. Plus I had napped earlier while Lucca and Marle were working away. Marle had saw fit to shine and clean anything she was able and spent a lot of time talking idly with Lucca. It seemed whatever heart to heart they had made the two of them closer.

"He's as good as I can make him with what I have here," Lucca sighed. I knew that sigh, it was usually associated with her not being satisfied with the outcome of something she had been working on. Except in this instance there wasn't anything she could do. Most of the time that sound was followed up with an immediate tearing down of whatever she was working on and starting from scratch. Naturally she realized that would be pretty stupid to do here. Not that it changed how she felt though. "Well, power on." Lucca pushed something on a panel and closed it.

Marle and I stood in front of it as the robot as a low hum started. Then slowly small lights started coming to life and finally the two eyes of it lit up last. The robot slowly got to its feet after a moment and was looking at Marle.

"Good morning, mistress," the robots voice was unmistakably mechanical in nature. Yet it seemed rather unique, and very easy to understand. "What is your command?"

Marle shook her head, "I'm not your mistress. I'm Marle, this is Crono, and the one next to you is Lucca. She's the one that fixed you."

The robot nodded, "Understood. Madam Lucca fixed me."

Lucca was half distracted watching him. She took a moment to register what he said, "No, please, just call me Lucca."

"Negative. Protocol dictates that addressing someone in such a manner is improper," the robot refused.

"Programmed with manners? Can't be one of Lucca's," I chuckled.

"Hey!" Lucca turned to me. "I'll have you know that Gato has plenty of good manners."

"Yeah he also has no problems punching me in the face," I replied dryly. "At any rate, Lucca and Marle both aren't ones for titles or things like that. So is there anyway to amend your protocols?"

"Affirmative, is this what you both desire?" the robot asked the girls.

"Yes, please," Lucca added.

"Yes, no titles," Marle confirmed with a nod.

"Confirming," the robot said, probably saving it or whatever it is that robots do.

"So, what's your name?" Lucca asked.

"Name?" the robot didn't seem to understand for a moment. "Ah, you must be referring to my production serial number. It is R66-Y."

"R66-Y? It must be a numerical designation meant to indicate type and number of production. That's really cool," Lucca said using a term I had never really heard her say which made me raise an eyebrow.

"That's kind of a mouthful don't you think?" I scratched the back of my head.

"Yeah, something shorter. How about Robo?" Marle took my arm and was smiling at the robot. "What do you guys think?"

I chuckled, "That works for me."

"I'd prefer to use his actual designation but I agree it is kind of a mouthful to say each time," Lucca sighed and turned to the robot. "Alright your new designation will be Robo."

"I am Robo. Confirmed. New designation accepted," Robo then took a moment before asking a question. "How may I be of service today?"

"Robo, would you know why there aren't any people living here? It seems well maintained," Lucca asked.

He looked around for a moment, "Error in backlog server, unable to connect to wide area network. Searching local data banks. When I was last operational there was plenty of people living here at Proto Dome. However my last record indicated that the humans were under attack from machines that originated from the factory to the North."

"Attacked? If that's the case then likely the power was cut here intentionally. Still how does the Enertron still work?" I speculated.

"Enertrons have dedicated power generators that can keep them going for upwards of ten years," Robo answered.

"That means the humans that lived here would have been attacked within the last ten years," Marle spoke softly from next to me. "Still because of that we can't get into the next room where the gate is."

"Gate? Is this a method in which you were able to avoid what occurred?" Robo asked.

"Yes, we arrived here from the year 1000 by means of an anomaly that allows us to travel in time. I'm still figuring out the particulars on how it is possible but I am able to search for other time gate anomalies by a very specific energy signature that they give off. We used the computer and satellites to find that it is located here in Proto Dome. However because of the lack of power we can't get to where its located," Lucca gave a brief explanation. I suppose it would be pointless to explain to a robot that Marle was a Princess, and we had all become fugitives in order to save my life from execution, and we only ended up in the future due to an incredible lack of options.

"So you require a means to open this door? Unfortunately it is a closed system. In order to do so we will have to go to the factory to the North. It is also a primary power station and we would be able to re-route the power to this location. However, if this was remotely closed off it is likely security would be alerted to such a change," Robo must have known the intricacies of the system. "If I was capable of connecting to the wide area network I'd be able to do so remotely."

Lucca shook her head, "Out of the question. Something is setting out a code that makes all robots that connect to the network to have their protocols rewritten and they attack humans."

"Attack humans? Why would someone reconfigure us to do that?" Robo sounded confused about that possibility.

"We don't know, but there are always a reason for people to do something like this. Either way, our priority is to get that door open," I didn't want to go too deep into that discussion.

"Affirmative. However, in order to get the door open, there will have to be an individual that remains here while I access security directly. It is possible that power will be redirected after we leave," Robo's words made me frown.

"Then it should be me," Lucca spoke up.

"No," I shook my head. I didn't want to leave anyone here on their own. But if I stayed then I couldn't be there to watch over them. This wasn't a great situation. "Damn it. Leaving someone here alone means if someone else comes while we're gone..."

"And if you stay here then you'll just be worried something is going to happen," Lucca sighed and crossed her arms. "Look, let's not waste time debating this. I'm more familiar with the technology here than either Marle or you. And if we only have a brief window of time then I can deal with the door and ensure it can't close on us. In the meantime, you can go with Robo and deal with whatever might happen there. More than likely there are a robots guarding the factory that you'll have to deal with. And you and Marle work really well as a fighting duo. Robo, are you capable of fighting?"

"I am programmed with defense subroutines capable of such acts," He answered.

"Excellent. New objective is to re-route power to this Dome and help protect both Crono and Marle along the way. Though they are highly capable of defending themselves, its nice to have someone watching your back," Lucca said simply.

"Updating objectives with new parameters. I am ready to deploy with Crono and Marle," Robo confirmed.

I was scratching the back of my head again, "It's going take some time to get used to him." I looked to Lucca. "I guess arguing with you is pointless as usual. You're right but still, be careful. I don't like the idea of you being here on your own."

"It's fine," she sighed and came up to me. "Besides I have a couple things I can work on in the meantime. And don't worry. I'll be as quiet as I can, I won't light the fire unless I am getting really cold and I'll stay back here so I can't be seen from the entrance. I would be able to hear anyone long before they know I'm here."

I kept my eyes on her, it still didn't sit well splitting from her. She then stepped forward and hugged me. "Lucca, I just don't want to leave either of you alone in this place."

"Crono, I know that. I know how you get. But we've chosen to try and save the future. We're going to be in danger again and again. You're going to have to accept the fact that you can't always protect me," Lucca spoke softly before she quickly squeezed me and then stepped back. "You're the same as always Crono, but the safest plan of action is this, and you know I'm right."

I nodded. I couldn't argue with her on this, she was right. "Alright, then we'll do this as fast as we can."

"Just don't be reckless and get yourself hurt," Lucca added.

"No worries, Lucca! I'll be watching over him the whole time," Marle grabbed my arm while smiling at Lucca.

Lucca returned her smile, "I'll be counting on you then. Robo, time for you to head out with the others."

"Affirmative, heading out to the Factory," Robo said and started walking towards the exit.

"Yeah, he is going to take a lot of time for me to get used to," I muttered before I gave a final wave goodbye to Lucca and Marle and I followed Robo out. Hopefully things went smoothly enough.

* * *

Such a lovely time we were having in the factory. At the moment alarms were blasting in our ears and we were running down a hall as we were now focused on trying to escape. Things had been going really well actually. Infiltrating the factory had been simple as there had been nothing to stop us from coming in. I had expected something but we waltzed through the front door. Any robots we ran into and tried to stop us were relatively weak. Not to mention Robo packed one hell of a punch. I could go less with the _"Secondary Objective Accomplished, returning to Primary Objective,_ " that Robo said after every scuffle we had.

Following Robo's instructions we had to flip some breakers to get past certain things and even tricked a different robot to giving up the main password we needed. I think Robo was legitimately surprised that the password was close to the name of the security protocol. I was beginning to sense that Robo had a personality that was unique to him, but we had only known him for a few hours now. Yet we were fighting by his side. He was definitely unique.

Not having Lucca here really bothered me. But it also served to motivate me to speed up. Unfortunately with whatever security that had been triggered we were forced to zig zag through the factory with the elevators cut off.

Robo rushed ahead of us and prevented a security door from fully closing. We rushed over top of him to the other side before helping him free. He seemed no worse for wear but that had to have done something to his...joints? Servos? I have no idea what a robot is made of.

There was no time to contemplate the inner workings of a robot. Or what their proper name was. I can just see Lucca rolling over knowing that I've improperly called something technological.

Finally we came to the final path before the exit, but Robo pulled ahead and stopped us. Then from the side of the wall it opened up and six robots appeared. Six robots that looked exactly like Robo, but they were a blue purple in color.

"This can't be good," I mutter. We'd seen what Robo could do in a fight. Fighting six of him would hardly be a good time.

"I don't like this, Crono," Marle said stopping next to me.

"R-64Y, R-67Y, and R-69Y! I am glad to see you all operational. It has been a number of cycles since our last meeting," Robo moved forward.

"Robo, be careful," I warned.

Robo looked back at me only for a moment before he stepped towards the others.

"R-66Y, your current actions are against our primary protocols. Intruders to the Factory are to be eliminated. You have deviated from your programming, meaning you have been tampered with. Resolution, you must be destroyed," One of the robots spoke, but unlike Robo the voice was nothing more than robotic monotone that had no semblance of life. In our short time it had been obvious that Robo was special. His voice actually had different inflections and could express a wide range of emotions. I'd go as far to say that he was a capable artificial intelligence. Okay you'll just have to take my word for it because I'm just repeating what Lucca had said earlier.

"Robo, back up, they aren't going to listen to reason," I said urging him to back up before they attack him. Just as I stepped forward, one of the robots hit Robo hard sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Stay back, they are my brethren," Robo said as he turned back to them. "It is as Lucca informed. Their behavioral protocols have been overwritten, the same as what had likely happened to me. If that is true, then it is likely I attacked the humans that were my masters. To think I did something so despicable."

"If its true, then we have to defeat them. We can fix them after if we bring them to, Lucca!" Marle pleaded.

Before we could do anything the robots charged at Robo and pulled him back. In an instant the six robots were pounding him.

Marle fired her crossbow nailing one of the robots in the open space in its joints. I threw my sheath away as I jumped into the air and stabbed my sword right into the opening at its head and then kicked it away. Marle and I went to work and the robots turned their attention to us. However we had been fighting with Robo against everything else in this factory and we were well aware of what he had been capable of. We were able to avoid the majority of their attacks. The most deadly being when they shot their first at you. It's deceptive if they use it at short range. So dodging to the side instead of back was a key factor.

" _Slash!_ " I sent the blade along the ground slicing through two of them. Marle covering my back while I fought in the midst of it. Despite them being better than what we had fought in this place before we had been too focused on attacking Robo, allowing us to take a few of them out before they could properly retaliate.

The last of them defeated I kicked one away and it fell to the ground. "Well I hope they can be recovered," I sighed as Marle came next to me and handed me my sheath. I put my sword away as we moved over to Robo who was crumbled on the floor. "They really did a number on him."

"Robo?" Marle knelt down. "Is he?"

"Let's bring him back to Lucca. I'm sure she can figure it out," I reached into my bag and pulled out the emergency blanket I had from before. "This should be tough enough to handle the trip. Let's put him on here and we can drag him back."

"Alright," Marle said and helped me get him onto the blanket. I mean he is a robot, so he's pretty darn heavy. Still we somehow managed and started dragging him and out of the factory.

We were outside once more and the wind and dreaded atmosphere surrounded us. "I really don't like it here," I mutter under my breath.

"Hey, Crono," Marle said as we were somehow managing to keep a steady pace. "Do you think, Robo felt bad for his brothers?"

I thought about it for a moment, thinking of how Robo had acted, "Yeah, I do. I think he understood the weight of what we had told him before. He realized that his brothers had been changed from their original purpose. And he hesitated."

"He didn't want to hurt them. He was looking for a way to save them, right?" Marle was feeling down after what we had seen.

"I think there is a lot more to Robo than we know," I commented. "Still I'm impressed in that situation you managed to keep yourself focused and your aim was incredibly spot on."

"Yeah but it wasn't fast enough to help Robo," Marle said glumly. I could understand her wanting to help him, but things had happened really fast.

"Then we get better, stronger and faster. After all we want to save the future right? In the new future, Robo wouldn't have to worry about that. Still, we don't know what we'll have to face, or fight. So we need to keep moving forward, but also become stronger too," I said as we got closer to Proto Dome. We had been walking for quite a while now. Our conversation had been slow and quiet. I knew Marle was still feeling affected by everything so her mood had often done this since we had learned about the Day of Lavos.

"Yeah, you're right. So, Crono, could we train together? To get stronger, I mean. Like exercise and all that?" Marle smiled and looked to me. This was more like her.

"That's a good idea," I returned a smile. "Making sure we properly stretch and everything else can go a long way in making sure we don't get injured or overextend ourselves."

"That's right we have to stay at our best. For Doan, Johnny, Lars and Robo and all his brothers. For everyone here, for everyone that comes after us. We can't let the world come to an end," Marle's energy was back to what I had grown accustomed to. At least before we had come to this time. This was her new motivation now. I couldn't help but believe that it was her upbringing as the Princess that made her so passionate about other people. Especially people that she would potentially rule.

Sneaking out to see the Millennial Fair would also serve to show her more about the people in the Kingdom, something that was hard to deal with when your forbidden to leave the castle. Marle had a strong mind though, and despite how horrible things had been she had been able to keep going. Well, I was doing my best to keep her spirits up, and I'm sure if I didn't she would be consumed by it. Quite the situation I suppose. We were in the year 2300, a world that was dying, and Marle a Princess had determined to fix it, much like how I had saved her life by saving her ancestor in the past. Well, hopefully with all of this we'd be able to head to another time.

But where would we go? What was the next step in finding out about the creature known as Lavos? I suppose there was no point in trying to figure out a plan. We'd be going through a different Time Gate. And there was no way in knowing where we would end up at on the other side. 

* * *

**A/N:**

 **The time in the future is a very key point in the game, and looking back on it now, I didn't realize how quickly it gives off some very key changes in the story. Learning of Lavos and them coming to a resolution to change the future took only 8 lines of dialogue. Their interactions with Doan and the others are equally as limited. So a lot of the message of the group is conveyed with just the visual of the world around them. And yeah, the game does a good job of showing us a bleak world, but there is a lot of other things that are shown that imply things far worse. First of all, there are a lot of robots. We find out later what the main culprit of it is but until they know that, it could have been any number of reasons or people that turned them against other survivors. There is a darker side of humanity here, that you never quite see in the game.**

 **This story for me is to try and explain a lot of aspects that never made sense to me. Along with deepening the relationships of the cast in a more meaningful way. When I got to Robo, I was kinda stumped for a bit on how I wanted to go with him. However there also seems to be a large gap in his memory. As if he had been disabled since the Day of Lavos. But that doesn't explain how he got to where he was and everything else. Not to mention he doesn't seem all too surprised about the state of the world. That was why I had Lucca actually give more of a reason to this. Plus I already explained that robots were affected by a change to their programming via wi-fi, haha. Scary thought actually. So I wanted to tie it all together so that when we eventually come back to the future we'll see a much bigger impact. So Lucca's modifications have made some influence on the way he speaks for now. Plus he had always sounded so normal in the original game, like he wasn't a robot. Other than the sound effect he makes it doesn't really distinguish him too much. Which I hope to change as the story goes.**

 **How successful I am is up in the air. We still got quite a bit of game to go through. Johnny was a fun bit to write, and I wanted to give an explanation as to why he can turn into a bike for the race. I mean he has wheels on his bike when he's standing there and, I thought it be cool to do. Johnny is, after all, the oddity in the Future, who seems to have found a way to enjoy himself. So even if his state of being is somewhat unorthodox and definitely not the happiest he still smiles and enjoys himself. Plus it was an easy way for me to cover how robots had been modified to not be raging machines of death. Overall I really enjoyed it. Hopefully you did too.**

 **In the end it serves as motivation for Crono and the others as to why they want to change the future. From here on out, once we get to the End of Time it becomes a bit more complicated. The party of 3 limitation is going to keep me up at night as I decide which characters will be there when certain events happen. Not to mention the challenge of attempting to give a more feasible explanation for this is...going to be near impossible. I shall do my best though. Well I guess check back next month to see how successful or not I am.**

 **Any way, let me know what you think of this months chapter and I'll see you all next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 / The End of Time**

I woke up in my sleeping bag to notice that Marle had snuggled up against me at some point and was still asleep now. Her warmth was incredibly comforting and I think I understood why she was there. It had been quite an eventful day yesterday. I didn't move as I didn't really want to take the chance in waking up Marle. I was still tired and I don't think it was anywhere near time to actually wake up, but I was pretty sure I was woken by the sound of Lucca working away on Robo nearby. I could hear the sound of metal and her tools as she worked. I didn't open my eyes and instead just enjoyed the warmth of Marle as I listened to Lucca and Robo.

"Is repair possible?" Robo's voice could be heard. Which was already a sign of improvement. I'm curious how artificial intelligence was able to come about, but I'm also guessing if Lucca tried to explain it to me I'd not be able to understand it past the second sentence. And that might be me trying to be optimistic.

"Of course, just who do you think I am?" Lucca replied in her usual smug manner when she was boasting. "They simply managed to damage some internal wiring that caused you to short circuit and power down. I'm ensuring now that it can't happen again. You are not something that was ever intended to be a fighter. You or your brothers." Lucca's tone was the same as always. Presenting facts. She would have known just by her initial time fixing him what his functions would have been. It was no surprise to me that he hadn't been built for fighting. And I know that Lucca hated the fact that they had, or that Robo had to face his brothers.

"It is likely that my data banks are intentionally missing my original protocol settings," Robo said bleakly.

"It isn't missing, however you would be unable to access it as what you are allowed to in your personal files is limited. This was a feature done by your original creator," Lucca explained as I heard her put a tool down and switch to another.

"A feature? But wouldn't my creator want me to know my purpose?" Robo was puzzled.

"I found something among your files while I was reverting your behavioral protocols. Your creator intended for you to think for yourself. Your purpose and goals were something that you set for yourself, not by the people around you. Meaning the people you lived with here, was your choice. You helped them, because you chose to. You weren't programmed to do it. You, Robo, are a true Artificial Intelligence. One of a limited number created by one individual. However, I'm not sure what happened, but you, and your brothers were forcefully overwritten like every other robot in this time. So now that brings up what happens next. After I finish these repairs, what will you do?" Lucca had likely found those files the first time she repaired it, but likely hadn't read them until later. When she had free time waiting for us to return from the factory.

"You are inquiring as to what my plan of action is beyond this juncture?" Robo's voice was inquisitive. As odd as it felt, he had certainly shown me he was more than capable of thinking for himself. His hesitation in facing his brothers was definitely a very human like response. Even this question was thoughtful.

"There is a time gate beyond the door we opened. We aren't sure where it will take us, but ultimately our goal is to change this future. The world here is desolate and dying. We come from a past that is vibrant and alive with nature, and the landscape is a beauty to behold. And something that I have taken for granted in my time. I could hardly ever imagine all of that being destroyed, and yet its the truth, all of that is gone. And we've seen and met the ones that inhabit what is left of this world. The remaining humans that live here are hardly living anything we would call a life. I'm sure in your time when people lived here, they had been vibrant and happy and nature had still been plentiful. We want to restore that, make this place the way it should be once more and make it so this world as it is now, never comes to be. We have no idea where it will take us. Or what we'll be able to do, but the three of us each have our own reasons for pursuing it. I'm sure you would also want to restore this place. Or maybe you want to stay and help the humans that still live in this time. The choice is yours," Lucca said as she put down the other tool. "That is about all I can do with the damage you sustained with what I have. I guess the rest of it is up to you until I get some suitable parts."

"I shall have an answer for you and your comrades in the morning," Robo answered simply. "You should get some rest."

"I will. Good night, Robo," Lucca crossed over and I closed my eyes so she wouldn't realize I had been awake. She laid down on the other side of where Marle was. Marle snuggled closer, resting her head on my chest.

I was oddly comfortable with how we were right now. Before long I had fallen back to sleep in the now silent Proto Dome.

"Wake up, Crono. Crono!" It was unmistakably Marle's voice. I blinked my eyes open to see her forest green eyes looking down at me. She smiled, "Lucca wasn't kidding you really are a heavy sleeper." Oh, she had no idea.

"Only when I'm really comfortable," I grinned as I think she realized I was referring to the fact that she had slept so close to me. She blushed a bit but was accompanied by a big smile.

"Come on, you should see him. Lucca managed to make Robo as good as new," Marle helped me sit up. To which I then had to stifle a yawn before stumbling up to my feet and rubbing my eyes. Thankfully Marle decided to stay by my side and stabilize my uneven stance. I was usually a bit dizzy at first when I slept so heavily.

"I wouldn't say as good as new. If I had more supplies then maybe, but he should function within his expected parameters," Lucca shrugged as she walked over. "As a additional precaution we should all use the Enertron before we go through the Gate. We don't know where it will take us or if we'll have a chance to eat or rest when we get there."

I nodded. It was a good idea. And I hope it would make me a lot less sluggish. So I stumbled back towards the Enertron and stepped inside. It closed and I felt the familiar sting in my arm and then the light mist. After only a couple moments I stepped out and like a dream I was wide awake. But my stomach grumbled in response as if to remind me of what it wasn't getting. Hopefully wherever we end up it was a place with food. I got out and then Marle used it, followed after that by Lucca herself.

We moved back to the open door to see Robo standing and looking at us.

"Good to see you up and moving again. You had us worried for a bit," I said. I certainly had no idea how robots work so saying if he had been in a precarious situation or not wasn't something I could really say. All of that was Lucca's territory and I was fine with that being the case.

"If Marle and yourself did not act as quickly as you did, I believe it would have been much worse," Robo commented. "Thank you for that."

"We're just glad to see you're all right. Lucca, your skill with machines is incredible," Marle turned to Lucca.

Lucca pushed up her glasses, "It wasn't that bad. But I'd rather avoid doing such extensive repairs over just regular maintenance. So Robo, did you make a decision?"

So getting to what they had discussed last night that I had eavesdropped on. Well I doubt Lucca would care if I had overheard. Still I knew Lucca cared quite a bit about making Robo make the choice and not just do as he was told. Which I'm guessing wouldn't be that hard to do. But if Lucca had read what the designers intention was, she would want to see those intentions fulfilled. As a creator and inventor herself, she would want to honor that.

"I have done many calculations as to possible options. Despite the probability of your goal being low in changing the future, it also has the most desired outcome. I decided that it was worth the possible failure to attempt. So I wish to ask permission to join all of you on this venture," Robo said and did a full bow.

"Of course you can," Marle cheerfully said from next to me. "We're going to need all the help we can get right?"

"That's true, plus having a robot on our side is definitely going to help," I echoed my agreement. "Though I wish you had evaluated or chances of succeeding a bit higher."

"Welcome to the group, Robo," Lucca said with a smile. "If we do manage to get to our time, we might be able to get some better parts, if we get the time."

"First things first," I said as I moved past them and inside the now opened door. The room was large and spacious and had apparently used for storage. Things were stacked all around and covered by sheets, but in the center of the room was that same unmistakable feeling that came from being near a gate. "Well, Lucca, want to open the way?"

"One Gate coming up," Lucca turned and pulling out the Gate Key and towards the anomaly. Suddenly it was there, as if it had always been. And without hesitation we all jumped inside.

As we traveled, Marle was clutching onto me as we tumbled out into a new place. But it was hardly some place we had expected. As we stood, it appeared we had come out of a pillar of light and we were on a strange balcony of sorts. Except surrounding us was nothing but darkness. Strange orange glowing lanterns were at each corner of the balcony and the pillars of light, to which there is three of them, were the only reason we could even see anything.

"I kinda expected something...more," I said as I moved over to the fence along the sides and out into what seemed like a never ending expanse of nothingness. There was a path behind us though that seemed to lead somewhere else. "Not that we know anything about where we are."

"Where do you think we are?" Marle was at my side.

"I think it would be more prudent to check the surroundings more thoroughly before we hypothesize," Lucca said walking towards the path behind us.

I watched as Robo followed Lucca and they opened the door. I sighed and merely shrugged, "I think she might have an idea actually."

"Seems that way, she just likes to know for sure, right?" Marle asked as the two of us starting walking the same way. Well, it was the only way to go anyway.

"Lucca doesn't like being wrong because she knows it leads to mistakes. Which is why she is somewhat hesitant about these Gates because she didn't have the time to study it before you know, you got pulled through one and I went after you. She went as fast as she could just to follow us, because of what she had figured out," I shrugged as we went through a now open doorway. Lucca likely found a way to open the gates with her Gate Key but wasn't able to spend the time to really figure out as to why it worked to begin with. And I doubt she was very happy with this fact. This area was large with a lone, what seemed to be, a light pole lighting the area. But more startling was the figure that stood there underneath. Lucca had stopped and I moved passed them and immediately up to the figure, mostly to put myself between the figure and the girls. Marle had willingly moved behind me, noticing what I was doing. Still, judging by the long cloak he wore he wasn't a threatening presence. This was proven further by the greeting we received.

"Greetings, it has been some time since I've seen a guest. Much less a number of you. Please, you can relax. I am not someone you need to fear," his voice was clearly that of an old man and his white silver beard can be seen from underneath the hood, though he made no movements to reveal more of himself.

"I doubt you'd ever get many guests here. Which...where is here anyway?" I asked and relaxed my guard. Marle moved back to my side as it seemed obvious there wasn't any reason to worry about this person.

He chuckled a bit which turned into a cough, "Excuse my manners, it truly has been a long time since I've had guests. This place is known as the End of Time. No doubt you traveled here from a different era through one of the anomalies that can be found throughout the world. There was a man who informed me that time itself had distinct rules. One of them he referred to as the Conservation of Time. When the amount of travelers or mass exceeds that which the energy of the time warp in which they are traveling through, they will instead end up in the place that has the least resistance in regards to the space-time continuum."

"So in other words, it couldn't handle the amount of mass we had and so we ended up in the place that is essentially out of the influence of the space-time continuum. Since the End of Time no longer has a way to affect the continuum on its own, and acts as a catch-all for what the space-time can't handle?" Lucca pushed up her glasses. So what? The End of Time was like a garbage dump for whatever a time gate didn't know what to do with? I don't know if that made a stupid kind of sense or I just wasn't capable of participating in this discussion. Lucca seemed to be right at home with this kind of discussion. Can't say I'm surprised by that fact. "I half expected something like this, but I had no means to see if different time warps had a different amount of energy, although their signature is identical."

The older gentlemen seemed amused by Lucca's speculation. I was completely lost in this conversation. "Indeed, the amount of energy available can be immensely different depending on your entry point. Tell me, where did you all come from?"

"The three of us came from the year 1000 AD. But we just came from the year 2300 AD and that is where Robo comes from," Marle answered. I eyed her for a moment. Had she been able to follow all that? She did have a better education because she was royalty. Probably had personal tutors and...so what was I? The brute? I sighed realizing I was just getting annoyed because I didn't really understand the whole thing. I was probably just over thinking it all.

"Ah, a warp from that part of the future would likely not be as strong. I'm afraid most portals past 1999 AD will lack sufficiently energy to transport more than the three of you. I am no expert in this area though," the old man shrugged. "You would need proper equipment and formulas in order to determine what the maximum or minimum capacity of a time warp is. And likely it would be far too time consuming to be worth while, as each time warp is transfixed to a different location in time."

"I see, so would it be possible if we traveled separately?" Lucca asked.

"More feasible, but each use of a time warp will cause it to be unstable for a time. Though given a period of time of inactivity will usually stabilize it," The old man answered.

"So it is more effective for three people to travel together, but once we do it will be some time before we can use it again? Or rather use it safely? Perhaps that was the problem when you went after Marle, Crono. You entered the portal only mere minutes after she did but you must have actually arrived hours after her because after her initial travel the time warp was unstable," Lucca turned to me.

"Yeah that seemed kind of odd to me. Do these time gates continue to progress time forward then? I mean they must or else we'd always end up going back to the same moment in time, right?" I asked, which was probably more amazing how I was able to understand any of it.

"Quite an astute observation. You are correct," the old man chuckled. "Time progresses normally in every time line that you visit. Because the flow of time is always moving, never stagnant."

"Until it ends," I frown.

"All of it has balance. Where time flows freely means there is a place where time has stopped. The same is the nature of all things of all worlds, not just our own," he spoke softly. "You four did not travel through the gate by accident it seems. While there has been many that have mistakenly ended up here before, you seem to have more purpose."

"That's right, we're going to change the future. We're going to prevent the Day of Lavos," Marle declared without any reservations. It was fine, this old man hardly seemed like he couldn't be trusted. If anything he simply seemed amused by our youth and our goal. I could see the edge of a smile from underneath his cloak.

"I see, if that is indeed the quest you've decided to undertake, then you should venture into the door behind me. Just you three. Your friend here would gain no benefit from visiting him. Inside is a good friend of mine and will no doubt be able to help you," He held a cane in his hands and rested both of his hands on it as he leaned onto it.

"Well, Robo, why don't you keep him company while we check it out, alright?" I turned to Robo for a moment.

"Affirmative, I shall remain on standby for the moment," Robo confirmed what I said before Marle, Lucca and I walked over to the lone door on the side of the large room.

"Someone that can help us huh? What do you think?" Lucca asked me.

"He doesn't have anything to gain from stopping us. If anything I believe he actually wants to help us," I said as I reached out to the door.

"I agree, he kind of gives off a feeling like that," Marle said. "We should be cautious, but I also want to be able to trust people too."

"Yes, sorry. Considering what we've been through and seen thus far I don't want us to be blind sided again," Lucca admitted, which I could hardly blame her for. We saw that even in the future in a world that bleak that someone had still tried to use and control the ones still alive.

I opened the door and we stepped inside. Inside was a small creature. The rest of the room was empty, but surrounding the small creature looked like images that hung in the air...and each one showed the pictures of battle. He spoke as we entered the room, and despite being a small furry and relatively harmless looking creature his voice came out deep and was somewhat intimidating. My mind recoiled by what I saw with my eyes contradicting what I was hearing.

"It's been some time since I've felt energy like this," the creature seemed amused. He turned and looked towards us. "Tell me, young ones. How do I look to you?"

"You look small and fluffy, can I pet you?" Marle eagerly moved forward. But the creature held up his hand to stop her, but I think Marle was going to burst from being overloaded by something so cute.

The creature laughed, and then with another wave stood a much older and markedly human form. He had a rugged face with long black hair and shortly trimmed. "My name is Spekkio. I'm a God of War, from this place I am able to watch battles from all points in time. The form you saw me in before is a technique to show your personal strength. If you saw me as something small and fluffy with no experience of battle, then that reflects your own. That doesn't mean your experience thus far has been for naught. What you three lack is a skill that has long since been forgotten in your time. The power of magic."

"Magic? Most of that comes from tales form the war against the Mystics," I shook my head. "You're telling me its real?"

"Indeed, that is why the old man told you to see me. All three of you have a vast potential within you. And I see many battles in your future. But as clever and impressive your martial prowess might be, it will not be enough against the enemies you will face. First, I wish to know your names," Spekkio folded his arms looking to each of us. Now that I noticed his clothes were a black and red, and seemed similar to the Guardia's Royal Guards that were near the King.

"I am Crono," I supplied.

"I am Marle," she said from my right.

"I am Lucca," she was on the left side of me.

"There are four elements of magic, each of you were born with a different affinity. The four elements are fire, water, light and shadow. Magic is not used with your mind or muscle, but your heart. Your emotions influence you and guide you. It is your job to control it, and not let it control you. It is a power that can easily be abused if you allow it. In the past it was those that let it control them that ultimately led to disappearance of magic entirely, for the fear of its use. Support each other, and do not let your friends follow that end and you will be gifted with the strength to persevere. Crono, you are aligned with the element of light. What it encompasses is for you to discover. Marle, you are aligned with the element of water. An element linked to the beginning of life itself. Your ability to heal others is linked to this, and will greatly expand as you explore your abilities and strive to help those around you. Lucca, you are aligned with the element of fire. And element often tied to progress and technology. Your intuition and research will help you along your path, but do not lose sight of your heart, for that is where your true strength lies. Though your cleverness is definitely a weapon, do not let it cloud you from your own desires. Now all three of you come and sit before me and close your eyes." Spekkio himself sat down and crossed his legs and closed his eyes. I only hesitated for a moment before sitting and closing my eyes.

The moment I did the world around me turned white. and I was sitting, fully aware as if I had been transported to a different place all together. "How is this even possible?"

"This is my domain. A place of reverence, penance and reflection. The domain of War does not just encompass battle but all aspects of it. I've seen many from your family line, Crono. All of them have been honorable," Spekkio came walking into my view. "You as well have walked a firm path as a warrior of honor. Guided by your heart and convictions. Fighting only for what you know to be true. Questioning the motives of others and trying to be understanding, yet cautious and ready to react if things go in a direction you did not expect. All good traits. You and the young woman Marle have a fate that is inexplicably tied together. Your goals and battles will change with time, but I can see that you will remain honorable and firm. Yet there is a part of your mind the plagues you."

My Father immediately jumped to my mind. Spekkio smiled. I shook my head, "I don't believe my Father died the way that the Guardia military told Mom and I. My Father was stronger than my Mother, and no one is stronger than her."

"And you are aware of your family history. Long have you been knights in the service of Guardia. More often times you were the best Guardia had in its defenses against the forces that would do harm against it. So if your Father did not die protecting a supply run to Porre, what do you believe happened?" Spekkio was now asking for me to speculate on my Father's death. Something I had often done growing up but kept to myself.

"I think that my Father was taken off guard. Betrayed or something along those lines. I just don't see my Father as a person that would be killed by bandits attacking a supply caravan," I admitted. It was something I never spoke of or even allowed myself to think about.

"I see," Spekkio nodded after a moment. "The faith you have in your Father is strong. Perhaps along your journey you will find many truths about the world around you. Heed the advice of your Mother, Gina. Don't dismiss what you see or the words in front of you, but keep your mind open to other possibilities. Your element of Light will help you to find the truth you seek. Use it like you would use your arms to swing your sword. Much like your very muscles you must use it for it to become stronger. Remember, your heart is the source of your magic, which means you must be constantly aware of your feelings."

"I understand, to be able to use my magic, means staying true to myself, and my Family. And not allowing myself to venture from that path," I said as I looked up to Spekkio.

He chuckled. "You are a smart young man, and merely lack experience of the world. But you shall gain that in time. I look forward to seeing you grow. Now close your eyes, Crono. This time I want you to envision what light is to you and give it form."

I closed my eyes. What could represent light and was strong? No it couldn't be just strong but fast. I thought of something bright, strong and fast...an image came straight to my mind exactly of that very thing. My eyes flew open and I was back in the original room where we had started. I held my hand out and I saw golden sparks of electricity sparking from my palm. I silently got to my feet as I felt it was what I needed to do.

"That's good, Crono. Now you must find a way to channel that energy outward to strike your enemies," Spekkio guided me. "Speak words that come from the heart, and claim your power."

 _Words from the heart?_ I could feel it, my power waiting to be released, but it needed something...a catalyst in which to strike out. This was similar to how techniques worked. And if that is true then all I needed was to trust my instincts and speak clearly. "Resound! Cry from the heavens! _Lightning!_ " I pushed both my hands forward as if I was striking outward and the golden electrical strike hit the ground in front of me.

"Good work, Crono. Perhaps you should step back as the young women finish," Spekkio said and I did so. I noticed both Lucca and Marle were still sitting in their meditation.

I took a moment to relax and take a few steps back and towards the door as I watched both Lucca and Marle likely being shown both something they needed to learn their power. Still, magic worked like my techniques, but I could feel that energy in a much different method than when I used my tech _Slash_. There was a form of energy that channeled into my sword when I used it, but the energy when I used my magic was a lot different. Almost as if I was pulling from a different source that I never knew I had. But yet it felt inexplicably tied to who I was and had been there waiting under the surface. In a place I hadn't been able to reach until Spekkio helped me to get there.

Lucca was standing to her feet now. Spekkio seemed impressed, "Now Lucca, speak from your heart and strike outward!"

"Consume! Leave nothing behind! _Fire!_ " Then coming from her out stretched right hand a ball of fire erupted out and hit the ground. It quickly disappeared but it was more than enough.

"You have done well, Lucca. Rest now, while we wait for your last companion," Spekkio smiled and indicated towards me.

Lucca walked back towards me but she looked absolutely exhausted. Now that I think about it, using magic had certainly done a number on me as well. "That was certainly a unique experience," Lucca said as she was obviously trying to catch her breath. "I suppose we just need to wait for Marle."

I nodded, "Yeah." I could only imagine what she might have to talk to Spekkio about when it comes to her own motivations and goals. Mine were probably too straight forward, with only my real question being about the real fate of my Father. Marle was royalty. Her real name was Nadia Guardia, Princess and heir to the throne of Guardia. The weight on her shoulders was probably more than I could really understand. And yet it was this same girl, no, this young woman that sacrificed so much to save me, to be with me. No if I truly cared for her, if I truly wanted to be with her. Then I needed to support her. I couldn't let her do it alone. I found myself walking towards Marle.

I knelt down behind her and slowly wrapped my arms around her shoulders and leaned my head in next to hers. "Nadia, I'll help you carry your burden." I said in a whisper. "I'll be here by your side. Don't try to carry the kingdom on your shoulders on your own."

I then got back to my feet and stepped away from her, I looked up to see Spekkio smiling. Only a moment later Marle was rising to her feet and she looked back at me, tears in her eyes, "Thank you, Crono."

I nodded, "This power is your own, but your future is not your burden alone to bear. It's both of ours, right?"

She smiled, "Yes!" She turned back to Spekkio.

"Now, Marle! No! Nadia Guardia! Use the words within your heart and claim what belongs to you!" Spekkio's voice rang out.

I could feel a brisk cold air gather around Marle and gather in her hands that she held in front of her. Her whole body seemed to glow a pale blue. "Shiver! The bite of winter! _Ice!_ " The gathering energy sprang out from her hands and slammed onto the ground, as it was briefly covered in ice before it shattered and disappeared. Marle looked uneasy and so I stepped forward and pulled her into my arms. Lucca approached on her other side. "Crono, Lucca, I was able to do it. I'll show him. I'll show my Father how strong I am and then..." Marle then collapsed fully into my arms, passed out from the exhaustion.

I picked her up into my arms as Spekkio approached us. "As I said before, your magic is like a muscle. You'll need to use it to become stronger. As you do you'll begin to figure out stronger ways to use it, as well as new spells that will come to you. Though it can be a little bit alarming when you first awaken to it. So I recommend you all rest before you continue on your journey. Also if you gain more companions on your journey then bring them here. I shall see if I can bestow them with magic as well. You will need all advantages you can get against Lavos."

"I..." I paused. "Wait how did you know that?"

"I am a God of War!" Spekkio laughed. I was kind of curious on how a God of War would end up at the End of Time but it was hardly my pace to ask a question. Whether he was a God or not, he had given the three of us the ability to do magic. Which now that I thought about it, might be useful when if we ever have to deal with Mystics, considering they could do magic. Like Spekkio said though, we would need practice to be able to use it successfully. And we needed to know how to best use it in battle. Seemed to me that we had just added something else we needed to work on when training. To which training was something we would probably have to keep up with in some capacity. Spekkio now smiled at us and it seemed almost, prideful, as if he was happy to see us come to this point. "When the three of you vowed to make it your fight, I heard it. And I knew I would meet you here. I told you before, my domain is over all aspects of war, not just the act of war itself. Your resolve and determination are well within my domain of knowledge. The path will be full of trials, but keep your heart true, and you will be fine, I'm sure."

"Crono, lets go set up a place so we can rest," Lucca said and pulling me back towards the door to exit the room. I gave a final bow to Spekkio, which came out as more of a nod considering I was now holding Marle. I turned and finally left the room, with Spekkio behind us. As we went through the door, we appeared back in the place with the old man and the light post. Robo was slightly alarmed by seeing Marle in my arms. "Don't worry, Robo. She's just exhausted." Lucca quickly explained. "Can you help me set up a place to rest?"

With Marle in my arms I moved to one of the sides and looked out into the endless darkness. "So this place...is like the opposite of our world? Time has stopped here, while Time flows on there."

"Yes, everything is with balance. Just like for a time, magic had been common place and covered the world. But then the misuse of that power eventually caused it so that no one could wield it. Spekkio took that gift away from humanity, deeming them unworthy to hold the power of magic. However, your goal to face and defeat Lavos is noble and something he wishes to support. As you suspect, many people once enjoyed such powers." The old man spoke moving next to me.

"You seem to know quite a bit. I suppose you had to tumble through from a different era to come to here," I asked looking to him.

He chuckled, "Yes, it was quite a long time ago though. I can't say I remember all too much about my life from before. Besides I feel a odd sense of serenity in this place, so I never ventured away from here. All points in time eventually lead to this place, just by the nature of how it all works. Either way I'd like for you and your friends to think of this place as your base. I'm sure you'll be coming through here quite often."

I looked at him for a moment, "I thought we only came here if the portal doesn't have enough energy to send us directly to its other connected place in time?"

"Actually you pass by here every time you go through time," he said seemingly amused.

I would have scratched my head if I hadn't been holding Marle in my arms. "So basically we always come here because all points of time are connected here? But when we exceeded what the energy of the gate could handle we came here, but since we've ended up here once we will always end up here?"

"More or less. I wish I could give you a specific reason as to why, but when you come here once, you tend to end up back here eventually," the old man did sound like he desired to tell me more but was likely unable to. Time travel definitely had to be hard to figure out...much less naturally occurring time warps.

"I suppose this would make a decent base, but are their any others actively time traveling?" I found myself asking.

"Actively? No, I would imagine not. There are rare occasions where some individuals end up here, but I have helped them to return home and I never see them here again. Many do not even realize exactly how they ended up here or what had happened. I simply guide them back from the pillar of light from which they came," he said with a smile.

"Crono, I got the sleeping bags laid out over here. Should be enough room for us to get some rest. I'm going to turn in too," Lucca said with a yawn.

The old man smiled, "Yes feel free to rest. No doubt your bodies are adjusting to the magic Spekkio has unlocked. It was a power all of you always had, but your bodies were closed off to it. The main difference now is your body must adjust to its reintroduction to your system. It will take time. Please, rest. You are safe here. Your Robotic friend and I can watch over you."

I nodded, "Thank you." I paused for a moment, "You never told us your name."

He laughed, "To be honest, my young lad, I have long forgotten my name. I have been in this place for a long time. Time does not flow here, so I couldn't begin to fathom the amount of time it has been since I came here. However, if you and your friends are around I'm sure that maybe even that will return to me in time." He chuckled once more.

I was too tired to press it further and followed Lucca back to the corner where she had set up or sleeping gear and pillows. I carefully knelt down and placed Marle down. I didn't realize until then how she had been clutching onto my shirt. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," I whisper. Marle eased up and allowed me enough space to ease down next to her and pulled part of the sleeping bag over the two of us. My head hit the pillow and I looked up into the nothingness that surrounded us here. As the old man said...there was an odd sense of serenity here. Before long I had fallen asleep, and once more with Marle snuggled up against me.

* * *

I was sitting up with Marle still snuggled up against me when we woke up. She lazily looked up at me as we slowly became more aware of the world. I looked up to see Lucca standing and observing the two of us. She giggled a bit. "You two look cute waking up together in the morning."

"Mmm, Crono makes a good pillow and blanket. I was nice and warm and comfy all night," Marle giggled and playfully placed a kiss on my cheek as she got to her feet. "But definitely slow moving in the morning."

"You have no idea. There was one time where I literally dragged him out of bed and he didn't wake up till we were halfway down the stairs," Lucca and Marle were both giggling now.

"I'll have you know that you also caused me to bruise up because of that too," I grumbled as I wiped my eyes.

"Greetings. I assume your rest was much needed?" Robo asked as he approached and offered a hand to help me up. I took it and he pulled me to my feet with minimal effort.

"Yes, thank you, Robo," I said as I yawned and stepped towards the girls. "So what's the plan?"

"I was talking to the old man and he informed me that one of the pillars of light leads to our time, but in Medina Village," Lucca supplied.

"Wait, isn't that where the Mystics live?" Marle asked.

I nodded, "Yeah but they also may hold a different perspective on Lavos. Assuming its something they know about. Either way, we should try to get back to Truce and make sure my Mom and Lucca's parents are okay."

"If we can get to my house there is a few things I want to pick up so I can properly maintain Robo. Plus if we can connect the time warp at the fair to here that would be a benefit to us as well. Let's see if we can't learn anything else in the process as well," Lucca pushed up her glasses.

"It seems you have some good objectives to complete," the old man slowly walked towards us, assisted by his cane.

"Let me guess, you want to warn us about traveling in groups greater than three because we can't predict the stability of the time gates?" I said somewhat dryly. I had been thinking about it, but I didn't know a good solution to it.

"For your best interest, one of you should remain here," the old man approached me. And seemed to be eying something on me. "Young man, what is that in your pocket?"

I looked at him for a moment before pulling out Marle's pendent from my pocket. He seemed somewhat surprised. "It belongs to Marle. It's been in her family for generations."

"Yes, I have no doubts about that. It also holds power, but I suspect you already knew that," he chuckled. Did he know what it was? Well he had seen a lot, no doubt. And no telling what had happened here at the End of Time.

"Well, it is this thing that kind of got us all in this whole mess. Though we really haven't had time to really think about why it happened," I shrugged.

He motioned for us to follow as he went to the far side of the main area and showed us a mirror. "The power of the pendent shall link you here, to this mirror. Using it shall allow you to communicate with us at any time."

The pendent glowed in my hand. It seemed rather convenient but, how was that even possible? Honestly should I even bother questioning it at this point? Let's count the crazy things that have happened so far. 1. I ran into a Princess who I didn't know was a Princess at the time. 2. Lucca's crazy teleport machine actually works. 3. Marle's pendant reacts and for some reason causes her to go through time. 4. I find out she's a Princess because she gets mistaken to be her ancestor. 5. She disappears and I have to go save her ancestor to save Marle. 6. That actually worked. 7. I get arrested for kidnapping upon returning Marle to the castle. 8. I get sentenced for execution. 9 Princess instead teams up with my childhood friend to break me out of prison. 10. We actually managed to escape. 11. We run and escape through a Time Gate and end up in the future. 12. That future sucks and we eventually find out its because the world gets destroyed by a creature known as Lavos. 13. We gain a robot companion. 14. We end up at the End of Time. Yeah so telling me that the pendant has power is probably not as crazy as some of the other things on this list. Another thing...thinking about all of this so far gives me a headache.

"I'm sure you have many questions. All I can say is that I have seen that pendant before in my life, and this mirror was one of the few things that has landed here at the End of Time. They resonate with each other which allows for messages and images to travel across time and space. Beyond that, I'm afraid there is not much else to tell," the Old Man offered a soft smile. Considering he wasn't even sure how long he had been here, I wasn't all too surprised by his inability to give a solid answer. And even if he just didn't want to talk about it, I was okay with that too. He had been supportive and helpful so far, and he didn't really have anything to gain by doing so.

"I guess that just leads us to one last question," I said turning to the girls and Robo. "Who should remain here?"

"I shall be the one to remain," Robo said without hesitation. "If you are returning to your own time, then you already know what you have to do."

"It does make the most sense for it to be us," Lucca added.

"Alright then. Looks like you're on standby here for now, Robo," I said with a sigh.

"Affirmative. I wish you all safe travels," Robo gave a bow to us. The three of us headed up to the area where we had first arrived and the pillars of light.

"The pillar of light to the left is the one we want to take," Lucca said as we approached it.

"Well, keep your guards up. Returning to our time means we might have to deal with the Guardia military if we go back to Truce. I find it unlikely that they would just give up searching for us," I said as we all stood around the light. "This is it huh? We have a goal, and now we can use magic. Things sure haven't been short of interesting, that's for sure."

"That's right, we're going to do this. We're going to do all we can to stop Lavos and save the world," Marle cheered. "Don't worry, Crono. I know with us, together, we can do this."

I nodded, "As long as we continue to support each other. Alright lets go, back to our time!" It all seemed so surreal to have such a goal. Who aims to save the world? Or to try and destroy a beast capable of destroying the world? Was it even possible? Just where would this crazy journey take us? We had met a God of War and come to the End of Time. A place that would normally never be believed it exists until you see it for yourself. What would we have to do? What opposition would we face? Could the ability to travel through time be what gives us the advantage or be the thing that ultimately ruins the end goal? I guess there was only one way to find out. Because there was no way in hell I was going to let the fate of this world lie in ruin.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Well, I think it's pretty obvious the things I've changed in comparison to the game. And I think its because I wanted a bit more meaning and importance tied to them gaining the ability to do magic. The End of Time is a pivotal location in the Game, for a few reasons. For one, until you get the Epoch getting to the right time era that you want can mean quite a bit of traversal. And that isn't necessarily the most fun thing to do. Fortunately Chrono Trigger doesn't have overworld encounters. But this does leave a lot of just dead traversal time where nothing is happening which can be hard when you are trying to write and don't necessarily care making huge jumps from one place to another. And trying to write in things that happen along that traversal time can also be pretty boring too. Not true all the time but for me, it seems like a waste of time to try and force additional scenes when they don't do much for the characters or plot. Anyway, let me swing back to my original point.**

 **The End of Time was something I wondered a lot about how I would handle, and Spekkio. Granted he fits the humor of the game, he refers to him in the English version as a "Master" of War, not a God. Not to mention he doesn't have a human form. So I instead looked at him from a different perspective. How could Spekkio actually do what he does? How can someone gift an individual with the ability to do magic? And even if he was basically only unlocking a innate talent for it, that was still something that no ordinary individual would be able to do right? Plus if his appearance is based on your own inner strength, that means that throughout the game, we never see what he really looks like. Not to mention a magic enchantment to do that seems like an odd thing to have if you are simply a Master of War. But on the flip side that seems like something a God of War might do in order to evaluate his followers. Spekkio also makes a comment that he can watch battles from all across time from this location, but we don't really get a feel as to why he would care to do this. Yet his personality makes him seem easily entertained and not as brutish as a Master of War might be. And another thing, Magic is usually never governed by someone that claimed to be a Master of War. Typically it is associated with someone that is wise, or understands the elements. But if you make all aspects of War part of his Domain, I think it starts to make a lot more sense. Magic, strategy, wisdom, resolve, justice, vengeance. All things that encompass war, including people's beliefs. Because of how I approached it, Spekkio needed to be a little more wise than he is perceived in the game. And I wanted to emphasize just how personal magic is. Spekkio is the one who informs the player in the actual game, that magic comes from the heart. It's a minor detail. But he literally says, _"Magic needs power of the heart."_ This changed my entire approach of Spekkio and that it would be something he revered and would rarely if ever just give to anyone.**

 **So who knows, by proxy Spekkio may make appearances in other areas as a result, if I care to explain the other details I go over in this chapter. I also wanted to write this as a bit of a transition chapter. They made a decision but they are also aware that they aren't sure what kind of a task they are undertaking and how massive it will be. Not to mention they don't had a slightest idea of where to really start. So, they plan to head back to their own time in order to maybe find out something about Lavos and what his state would be then.**

 **As always I appreciate all my readers who take the time to read this. Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite games, if not my favorite game of all time. I played it to death as a kid and it was there for me when I was going through a rough time. I care deeply for these characters and this story. Which is part of why I also hesitate when writing the characters and any changes that I do. At the same time I want to give them a more realistic tone than the original game did. I suppose only you the readers can tell me if I manage to get somewhat close.**

 **Please let me know what you think. Your reviews keep this Fic going. And hopefully you are enjoying the changes I've been making. And if you don't, well let me know that too! Once more Thank you for your time and I'll see you next month!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 / History of the Mystics**

I wish the landings weren't so rough. But maybe it was just because of how we travel through time. It was like going down a slide with no way of knowing how or where you would come out at. Leaving it next to impossible to be able to adjust or determine how I needed to prepare for the landing. And it was also hard to tell exactly how fast we were going either. This time we came slamming down onto a wooden floor and I barely had time to turn as I tried to absorb most of the impact from the landing. Only a moment later had Lucca tumbling out and her falling on top of us. Yeah would definitely be nice to have a bit of a nicer landing.

"There has to be a better way," Lucca grunted as she pulled herself off of Marle and I and sat back.

"Yeah, definitely," Marle sat up and gave me room to sit up.

The room around us...wait had we come out of a closet? "There was a Gate...in a closet?"

"It's a china cabinet, actually," A new voice spoke and we turned to see two imps one, blue and the other an olive green, standing there. "And this is our home." The blue imp folded his arm. Mystics? I had never really met one before but they were hardly the antagonistic brutes that people liked to describe them as. I suppose there was a reason we didn't get along with them but considering their house and the way they dressed, it didn't seem like they were all too different from us.

"Yeah, we're sorry. We don't have any control over where this thing spits us out at," I apologized and got to my feet giving them a bow. Mother would never accept me being anything but a gentlemen until shown that someone didn't deserve it.

"That was crazy. Some sort of teleportation magic?" The olive green imp asked.

Lucca pushed up her glasses. "Something like that. We're still relatively new to magic."

"That isn't typically something humans can do," the blue imp eyed us for a moment.

"Yeah just like they don't come tumbling out of a china cabinet," I said as I got back to my feet. "Sorry about suddenly appearing like that. We'll get out of your home."

"Hold on," the olive green imp stopped us. Then sharing a look with the blue imp, he sighed.

"I suspect you don't know where you are," the blue imp said.

"No, not really," Marle answered.

"You are in the town of Medina. A village of mystics. We were founded by our ancestors when they lost the war against human kind some 400 years ago. You should be careful with the other residents. While they aren't necessarily going to be outright hostile they still hold a grudge against humans that pass through here. Most blame humans for our state, but to be honest I'm fine with how things are," the blue imp supplied some needed information.

"There is an old human who lives near the cave to the west. Regardless of how you got here, he should be able to help you out," the olive green imp added.

"Thanks," Marle smiled cheerfully. "But why are the two of you being so nice? I thought mystics weren't supposed to get along with humans?"

"That war was 400 years ago. While the rest of my kind may be unable to forget, I enjoy the life we have now. And I've never been wronged by a human. The most being the three of you suddenly jumping out of my china cabinet..." the blue imp chuckled and definitely seemed amused by the situation.

"I guess that means we shouldn't linger in town then," Lucca commented.

"Yes, I would stay away from the village leader's place. He's Ozzie the VIII. He's pretty proud that his ancestor served Magus," the olive green imp spoke up.

Magus, the leader of the mystics of 400 hundred years ago. A villain in the time of Frog, Queen Leene and the Middle Ages. Maybe that was a good place to start? It was as good as any. "Magus, huh? Didn't he disappear in the middle of that war and led to the Mystics losing?"

"We're led to believe he exchanged his life to create a creature known as Lavos, and that it will eventually wake and destroy humanity. But that just seems like some stupid myth to make those radicals sleep better at night," the blue imp was quick to dismiss it but...there was a word I hadn't expected to hear so soon.

"Lavos?" Marle was at my side. "So Magus created Lavos? In the middle ages?"

"I think that's enough reason to investigate it. We'll need the Gate that is at the fair," Lucca added.

"We better find a way back to Truce, either way," I said as I looked back to the imps. "Thanks for your help. I guess we'll be heading to seek this old man out west then."

"Of course. We hope you are able to find your way back home," the olive green imp gave us a bow and so did the blue. We returned the gesture and finally left out the front door of the home.

As soon as we were outside I noticed that night had already fallen. That made it easy to get my bearing and started walking west out of the village. The other girls being relatively close to me. Which I couldn't blame them, being in a village of mystics that may or may not want you dead wasn't the most comforting of things to deal with. And it felt out only moment of peace had been at the end of time. At the very least we were rested up so that was a plus. Probably the most comforting thing over this whole event was the fact that the grass was green, the sky was blue and the air smelled and felt normal.

Still, I would not be forgetting the oppressive atmosphere and smell of death that permeated the future time era. I couldn't. Just like I couldn't forget my feelings when I found out the truth. If that was our future, then what would be the point of living? Could I honestly push forward and live a honest and happy life with that kind of knowledge? No. It was an easy answer. We just couldn't allow that kind of future to come to be. Simple as that. The actual execution of that was something completely different though.

"Still, how could a mystic create Lavos?" Marle spoke up after we had all walked for some time in mostly silence.

"Even with magic involved, it seems improbable that you'd be able to create such a creature capable of such destruction," Lucca commented as it was obvious she was trying to think of how it could work.

"If magic power comes from the heart as Spekkio said, then that kind of hatred needed to wish for that scale of destruction would have to be equally as immense, right? I find it hard to believe that hatred for humans based on some old age bigotry is hardly enough hatred to create something like that," I scratched the back of my head and sighed. "But enough to die for it? Sacrifice yourself to eliminate everything? I mean it wasn't like Lavos' destruction was very selective, he killed everything."

"Yet the Mystics believe that it will only wipe out humanity? Do they hate us that much?" Marle spoke softly from next to me.

"It's prejudice inherited from their parents, and their parents before them. The same reason why most humans hate Mystics. Because its all we know of each other," I knew it wasn't the answer that was easy to hear. However it was the real truth of the situation. "I don't think even our history books tell of a time when we had even tried to understand each other. When our two sides met, it was always a battle that followed. The War of the Mystics didn't really gain either side anything. At the end, both sides were at the same place they had been before it had started."

"So in the end we are just perpetuating a continuous cycle of hate that we can't get out of," Marle shook her head. "And this Magus would give his life to destroy everything? Even though he would never be around to know if he succeeded or not?"

That was a concept that was hard to understand. Someone would have to hold more than just a lifetime of learned hatred or a twisted outlook on life to desire an outcome from a method that you wouldn't even be around to know if it worked. "It doesn't make much sense, I can agree with that. I would wager that there is a lot more to it than we could possibly know."

"Hence, why going to that time is our best option. If I remember correctly Magus disappeared shortly after our forces broke through the enemy siege and were going to make a charge at the castle," Lucca noted as we had been walking for some time now. The house that the old man lived in was coming into view in the distance.

"So what, are we planning to charge in too?" Marle looked over to me.

I shrugged, "It may be our best way to make a lead on Lavos. And if he did create him, we can stop it from happening. That seems a bit too easy but it is a place to start." The whole concept of go here and beat one guy to save the world seemed like an unlikely scenario that could feasibly play out for us. No, with how that old man and Spekkio had talked about Lavos, this would be no easy task that could be solved by manipulating events in time. But perhaps it could put us in a better position to face Lavos. Then again I'm not sure how we're going to face such a massive creature. The record we saw showed such a huge monster in a protective shell. There was no telling exactly what we would need to defeat it at the moment. The only option was to learn everything we could.

"It's better than not having anything to go on," Marle sighed a bit from my side as we were walking up to the door of the old man's house. She took my arm and leaned against me as we stopped. "Magus...do you think he truly wanted the world to be destroyed?"

"I wonder," I shook my head. "Maybe that is exactly how he felt at that time. But I think almost everyone has thoughts like that some days. Where you feel that the world is out against you and that maybe it would be better if the world was just gone. Or that things would be better without you in it. What sets people apart is what we do after that."

Marle rested her head on my shoulder, "Yeah, I think I can understand that. When my Father allowed for your execution to stand, when I though about what it would be like for you to die. I just couldn't imagine a world without you. I thought that if you were gone then maybe I should..."

"Don't you dare say that," I cut her off.

She nodded although her head was against me, "Yeah, I'm sorry. But that was how I felt at that time. So when Lucca showed up, she was my last hope. I couldn't join her fast enough. I had to save you."

It wasn't like I hadn't known that my execution would have a negative effect on her. That was the whole point of the Chancellor and King executing me to begin with. To scare her, to forever control her. Essentially to say, _You can't have friends. You can't leave the castle. If you do, people will be punished with death._ It was her first time she had ever left the castle, probably the first time she had ever dared to do something like that. Just to go to the Fair. But it was an event that would never come again. The threat of Lavos made that even more true than I liked. The destruction would happen in 1999...a year before the 2nd Millennial Fair could feasibly take place.

If I had died then, what would have happened? Not just to Marle, but Lucca as well. These are thoughts I shouldn't linger on, but the prospect of time travel and changing the future was why this thought wouldn't go away. We already had proved that time could be changed when we saved Marle. Because Marle's appearance in the Middle Ages had resulted in the search that would have saved Queen Leene to be canceled. Because of that change, Marle disappeared as if she had never existed. By righting the timeline and rescuing Queen Leene she was able to be brought back. And yet...there was a horrible experience she gained from that moment. She had been in a void, unfeeling and forever cold...suffering in that time in that place.

"You don't know what it was like there," Marle whispered from next to him. "Even now I can't properly describe it." As if she knew my train of thoughts she was talking about that moment. "You saved my life. You have only ever been kind, warm and accepting of me from the very beginning. Even when you found out that I lied to you and that I was Princess Nadia, you still protected me. If there was ever a man more honorable or more worthy of my affection and devotion, I don't know them. And if there is, they would have to beat you because I only feel alive and believe life is worth living because of you."

I blinked for a moment as she looked up at me. What was I supposed to say to that? That she only felt that way because of how protected she had been kept since her Mother died? That if she had a chance she would probably find guys way more worthy than me. "I think it is far too soon to be making any claims like that."

"Your actions have shown plenty about who you are as a person. Even though you are modest, its more because you are carefully observing the situation you are in. Not accepting what you see as the final truth. You're dedicated to your craft and absolute in your beliefs but you also have an open mind and willing to listen to others," Marle was smiling at me. She could disarm me with that weapon of hers. And I felt myself shaking my head.

I sighed, "I'm honored you think all this about me. Even still, don't you think it is too soon to be saying things like that?"

"She isn't wrong," Lucca said as she took a few steps towards the door to the house before turning back to Marle and I. "She described you pretty spot on. Though she could add that you sleep like a ton of bricks, take forever to get moving in the morning and could probably use more vegetables in your diet."

"Vegetables are hardly good to bring with you when you are traveling," I found myself being defensive with a huff.

Marle giggled from next to me and bounced in front of me, "I always had to be a good judge of character you know."

"I remember you saying that before," and it had been at a time I didn't know she was a Princess. Of course now it made a lot of sense.

"Helps that Crono is pretty earnest in his feelings. He's a pretty bad liar too. He once tried to hide the fact he had shattered his Mom's prized tea cup and well, it didn't end in his favor," Lucca was giggling as she was remembering that particular situation.

"Yes, is there anything else you want to tell everyone?" I mutter looking to Lucca.

She held up her hands in mock surrender, "Hey now, she will find out one way or another. Besides there isn't anything I could say that you would be ashamed of her knowing."

She was right but it was kind of embarrassing. "Look my point is..."

"I know, Crono," Marle had her finger on my lips to silence me. "This is you protecting me from you, right? Making sure I'm being cautious and questioning my decisions right? You want me to confirm my feelings and be one hundred percent sure."

I met her gaze as she moved her finger away from my mouth, "I don't presume to know anything. But I do know that you've been sheltered for most of your life. I want to make sure that you..." But I couldn't finish, I saw the anger behind her eyes at my words.

"That I what? That I'm not being a naive girl that is letting herself be swept away by my first relationship? I know you don't mean it that way. Why don't you admit the truth Crono!" Suddenly Marle was pushing me back and glaring at me. I didn't look away from her, I had chosen a bad way to express myself and this was my fault and I was paying for it.

"Alright, fine. I'm scared," My voice was even but a bit shaky. "How can I just stand here and accept what you've said when we're aiming to do something that we may not be able to do. And even if we do find a way to do it, that doesn't mean that we'll survive. But it's also not something we can just turn our backs on. I can't stop thinking about it. We have traveled through time, saw what happens to our world. Then we gain the ability to use magic and we plan to do what next? Storm off to face Magus who is one of the most feared Mystics who ever lived and nearly wiped out our country 400 years ago. And he might well be the one responsible for bringing about Lavos and the eventual future we witnessed. My only solace in all this is that I was able to save you. It proved to us that the future can be changed. But that doesn't make the dangers any less real. I watched you disappear in front of my eyes and it will be a cold day in hell before I ever let that happen again!"

Marle took my hands as they were shaking and every part of me wanted to run away. I could feel tears escaping my eyes now but Marle brought her left hand up to my cheek. But she also had tears falling from her eyes as well. What a pair we made. "Crono, we both have to risk our lives for this. To protect our future. Because I believe my future is with you. Its like what you asked me before if I wanted children. I do...I want to have many children. That's why we will change the future. So that we can honestly say that we didn't turn a blind eye to what will eventually happen. To safeguard the next millennium and beyond, that is our goal. And we will do it together or we won't do it at all."

"All of us," Lucca interjected. "Crono, I know its been hard for you. I don't think I have ever seen you so determined or terrified than when I met up with you after Marle had disappeared. You barely knew her and yet it seemed like saving her was all that mattered to you. You fought with a ferocity I had never seen. I know the two of you connected in a way I never have with you, Crono. But either way, we decided together to try and defeat Lavos. I want to believe we can do it. No matter what dangerous or outcomes could happen. Would you be able to go back and do nothing, and instead just live in fear of the future?"

I looked away and saw that during our conversation the front door to the house had opened and an old man stood there with a smile. "It seems quite a heated discussion you are having in front of my home."

The girls turned but I took a bow, "I apologize if we've been disruptive or rude in any sort of way."

"Yes, we're sorry," Marle added her own bow along with Lucca.

"Oh no, its quite alright," he dismissed it. "Why don't the three of you come inside?"

"Wait, aren't you Melchior? I thought you had a stall you ran at the Millennial Fair?" Lucca asked, which now that I thought about it he did look familiar.

"Indeed I am. Well don't just stand there, come on in and we can talk," Melchior turned and went back inside but left the front door wide open for us to follow. The argument we were having before hadn't been finished but for the moment I don't think any of us wanted to continue talking about it. We didn't avoid each other

As I looked to Marle she was smiling once more and reached up to wipe away some of my lingering tears. I did the same for her. She talked in a whisper to me, "Our strength is communication right? We both have doubts, so lets express them and carry the burden together. That's what real couples do, isn't it?" She then turned and walked into the house.

I sighed once more and looked to Lucca who was staring at me but re-focused when she realized I was looking at her. It felt like she had a lot on the edge of her mind but was unsure to say any of it. I looked back to the open door, "I can't say I've ever been good at speaking my doubts."

"I think I can take some blame in that. I was never there for you when you needed me. Especially after your Father disappeared. I was always so wrapped up in my inventions that I wasn't someone you could confide in," Lucca spoke softly. "And now it feels like I'm only getting farther away from you." She glanced at me for only a moment before heading into the house.

I turned and looked up into the sky. A clear day, with a blue sky. The sound of birds and insects could be heard. The world full of life and vigor. Blissfully unaware of the horrible future in store for all of us. What could I do to protect this place other than embrace my fears and charge forward? I needed to strengthen my resolve and get past my hesitation and fear of seeing Marle and Lucca hurt. It was a danger and possibility I just needed to accept. Because in order to save the future we would have to put our very lives on the line.

* * *

"It is a pleasure to meet such spirited young people such as yourselves," Melchior seemed rather amused as we sat around his table. His house was for the most part normal. Except for the display of weapons and the obvious smell of fire and charcoal and other smells coming from his basement. This man was a blacksmith. "I hope everything is alright."

"We'll be fine. Besides, arguments and debates help make relationships stronger," Marle spoke and looked back to me. I had settled next to her at the table and she reached over and took my hand.

"That is certainly true. People cherish relationships where they can be truly open even if they disagree on a given subject," Melchior mused as he motioned to the tea on the table. "Please, help yourselves, I made plenty."

Marle reached over and began pouring the tea. I found myself watching her as I noticed how flawlessly and elegant at which she did so. Likely motions she had done so her whole life, no doubt taught etiquette for her time in the court. She noticed this and gave me a quick wink as she slid one of the cups over to me before sliding another to Lucca and then herself. I took a moment and then took a sip. My stomach grumbled in response as I realized it had been so long since I had last had anything to eat or drink. Other than the rations that Lucca had, but this tea was just the right mix of flavor and sweetness that I had to stop myself from gulping down the rest of its contents. Mostly because it would likely result in burning my mouth.

"You'll have to excuse us. It's been a while since we've had tea and it tastes utterly delightful," Lucca added to try and cover my likely offensive reaction.

Melchior just chuckled though, "Quite alright. It is much more enjoyable to be able to share a cup of tea with others for once. I am curious what brings you here. And from the direction of Medina. Not many humans ever go near the Mystic city."

"There was some circumstances for us appearing here," I said before taking a more modest sip of my tea. "Isn't it a bit inconvenient for you to live out here?"

"Perhaps, but I only head into town to sell my wares and then return home. As you've already guessed, I am a blacksmith. Very proficient at creating weapons if I may say so myself," Melchior shifted slightly in his seat as he looked towards me. "You three, I wager have seen a number of battles already."

"Not by choice," I commented somewhat quickly.

"Most battles do not come by choice, but necessity of our situations. While I was never a fan of war or battle, I learned how to create weapons so that I could help those that had the will to fight for what they believe in. You wish to protect these two ladies from harm, yet they desire to fight at your side," Melchior had definitely heard quite a deal more of our argument than I first thought, or perhaps he was just that perceptive of those around him. He closed his eyes, "I also sense the power of magic in the three of you."

"Huh? Melchior, sir...how do you..." Marle started but Melchior put up his hand to stop her.

"You'll have to forgive the ramblings of an old man. I have simply witnessed much in my long life on this planet. Whatever your goal is, I simply wish to help in my own way. The only way for you to travel is through Heckran Cave that is to the north of my home. It will get you to Truce. Beware though, there is a Mystic Cult that resides in that cave and will not hesitate to try and cut you down. No doubt that this will only be one trial on your road of many travels ahead," Melchior opened his eyes again. "And should you ever be in need of a blacksmith then I would be more than willing to be of service."

It felt like he knew so much more than his words would indicate. How much he knew was something he could hardly even begin to guess at. "Thank you, Melchior, and I'll definitely keep you in mind if I'm in the need of a blacksmith."

"Keep in mind that mystics are strong and will likely only be weak to magic. After all when they fought humanity, it was a time where they had long since forgotten magic. It is why Mystics were feared for so long. But it wasn't as if Magic was only exclusive to Mystics. I'm sure you'll find out much more along your journey towards your goal," Melchior seemed definitely amused by the conversation.

I shared a look with Marle and Lucca. It was obvious that Melchior wasn't going to share much more than he already had. The world might be much broader than I originally thought. I had never traveled to the different continents. At least not one I couldn't get to by a bridge. How much about the world did I not know? "There is a lot I want to ask about how you know so much. But that isn't really important. Instead tell us about Heckran Cave and the cult of Mystics that are there."

He nodded, "How much do you know about the one named Magus?"

I guess I wasn't too surprised to hear that name again so quickly. "A powerful Mystic that organized them and led a campaign against Guardia some 400 years ago. Up until he disappeared. After which the remaining army became disorganized and forced to retreat and abandon the war they had started."

"That is the broad strokes," Melchior nodded. "The truth being that before Magus, the Mystics were tribal by nature, and hardly close from any sort of unification. They often fought for territory on the outskirts of human society. Magus, however, seemed to come from no where and began to subjugate the tribes under his own banner. Mystics of all kinds became unified under one banner, and one belief. Magus used their hatred for humanity to make them aim for war. Before his war could get to its end though, he disappeared from within the depths of his own castle. Supposedly it happened when he used his power to summon a creature known as Lavos. Whether he was successful or not has remained to be seen but without his leadership his Generals couldn't hold the Mystics together and they eventually agreed to a cease fire. Not really an end to the war, and not peace either. So its been more or less a stalemate for hundreds of years. Some Mystics just want to live in peace...but then there are those that join the Cult of Magus."

"So a fanatical bunch of Mystics are in the cave that are still following what they believe was Magus' original intention. Which was to kill all humans?" I shook my head.

"From what we know from history there is nothing that can counter it, but it doesn't sound like anybody really knew what Magus' true intention was," Lucca commented, which was around the same line of thinking as myself.

"Is Heckran Cave the only way to get back?" Marle asked.

Melchior nodded, "If you want to make it with any sort of speed, then yes. Navigating through the Cave can have you back in Truce within only a couple hours. If you are looking for a more conventional way back, you won't find one. The ports into all of Guardia have been locked down. At the moment nothing can get in or out without going past a military checkpoint."

That was a fact I wasn't really surprised by, but that did make the whole next part of this a bit more complicated. Even if we get to Truce there was likely somebody watching my Mom and Lucca's parents as well. Marle shifted in her seat next to me.

"So they are still looking for us?" Marle said with a whisper and so I reached over and took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Okay, so its basically our only option. Is fighting the only way we can get through? I'm guessing them being a fanatical cult doesn't give much room for negotiations," I looked back to Melchior.

"Unfortunately not. They are protecting the path for what they believe to be the path they will take when Lavos appears to take out the humans. Well, they've been protecting that path for a few years now. So they are pretty settled in there, The only one you need to worry about is Heckran. Though I'm unaware of how successful you can be trying to sneak by his underlings," Melchior admitted.

"We should get going then. If it takes a couple hours to get through the cave," I got to my feet and took a moment to give a slight bow to Melchior. "Thank you for your help."

He shook his head, "It isn't everyday that I have visitors. Especially ones that seem to be under a lot of stress. I don't think my old heart can handle whatever it is you three youngsters are facing, but you have each other, and its something you shouldn't forget. I wish you luck."

"Yes, thank you, Melchior for your kindness and hospitality," Lucca added her own bow.

"You are very kind. Thank you," Marle voice was almost formal as she took the lead to leave the house. I knew what was wrong so I quickly chased after her and out of the house. She was storming off.

"Marle! Marle!" I called after her as I picked up my pace. She didn't look back and kept walking off. "Nadia!" My voice louder and her hearing her real name caused her to stop and turn back.

"My Father he..." She was shaking as I caught up to her. I hesitated to hold her as I wasn't sure was something that she wanted. "I can just imagine both him and the Chancellor are using our disappearance to put a tighter grip on the people. The Chancellor has been pushing for him to regulate the trade in Guardia and probably pocket more tax money in his pocket."

"And your Father is falling for it. Likely still in shock that you ran away from him," I spoke softly. "Nadia, we can't..."

"I know!" Marle cut me off and then stepped against me. I instinctively put my arms around her as she did. "Mom would hate this, how much he has been manipulated by that man. He is nothing like the Father I used to know. Its almost as if he died along with Mom. But he can't do that. He's King, he is supposed to help the people, to help them feel safe. But no...this only makes people scared. Crono...he...I want my Dad back."

"We'll do what we can. But we've got a goal right? First we ensure the future and then we help your Father, okay?" I try to soothe her as she presses against me. Our next trial in front of us was the Heckran Cave. A cave full of cultist that follow the beliefs of Magus, probably the only true leader to ever rise among the Mystics. He had unified them and gave them a purpose before he had up and disappeared, leaving them without a leader.

Was this Magus really responsible for the creation of Lavos? Could someone hate the world so much to want to destroy all of it? That was the eventuality that we knew would happen. The question is could the creation of Lavos be stopped or was there much more to this that we didn't know?

* * *

"I just want it to be known that I dislike the fact we are in a cave that goes underneath the ocean. Do you have any idea how far down we are in the Earth?" Lucca said as we were slowly going along a cliff side with a loud waterfall not too far in the distance.

"And here I thought you would be impressed with that very fact, or how rare an opportunity it would be to experience something like this," I comment dryly as I help steady Marle as she steps forward and holding on firmly to my arm.

"If it wasn't for the cultist down here, this place could almost be considered romantic," Marle commented with a slight giggle as she stepped in close to me before finally clearing the last of the narrow section and to me on the more stable of places we had found so far.

"Yes, I can see the threat of the ocean suddenly pouring in from above you to be very romantic," Lucca said flatly as she jumped over and I quickly grabbed her arm and ensured she made it over safely. "Thanks." She said simply as she took a few steps into a more secure area, away from the cliff.

"Don't be that way Lucca. I mean it isn't every day you get to be in a place like this," Marle was trying to be encouraging but Lucca wasn't having any of ot. That was mostly because of a certain fact that Marle didn't know.

"Well Lucca is partially claustrophobic and doesn't do to well with water," I clarified as I moved closer to the girls.

"Just thinking about it makes it hard to breathe," Lucca admitted but tried to shake it off.

"I think it is more concerning that they have a back door into Truce. That puts us in a dangerous position as a country. Although it is benefiting us right now," I said as I moved up to a opening to go further in. This next section seemed open. No one was there. I felt hesitant to enter.

Marle leaned against me next to the opening and glanced in for a moment, "Think its a trap?" She asked in a hush voice as she was half readying her crossbow.

"Likely, its a good spot for an ambush. And seems to be the only way to get further back into the cave. Still, the room is limited so there isn't much they can do other than try and launch a surprise attack. Unless there are actual traps in there," I looked across to where Lucca was.

"We would have seen other traps up to here if there were any," Lucca said simply.

I figured that but I might as well ask just to feel confident about my thoughts. Still I guess it was all or nothing at this point. So I stepped into the cave and slowly pulled out my katana as Marle and Lucca stepped in behind me. It was a somewhat circular room but the collection of rocks and boulders would make it difficult to fight. But as soon as we made it halfway into the room, another presence made itself known.

"This must be some kind of joke," A large creature came from the far side of the room. Despite his appearance he had no problem speaking. "Mere humans dare to come through Heckran Cave? My cave?" Creature was about the only way I could describe him. He had 3 large claws and several spikes coming from his back, and his skin seemed scaled and a pale blue in color. He also had two pretty large tusk as well. So with all that to consider he was pretty intimidating, and was probably twice as tall as I was.

"Considering you plan to use this came to invade my home town, I don't think it should be that surprising," I put my hand on the hilt of my sword and eyed him for quite a long time as I slowly positioned myself in a place I could defend and strike in the most open part of the area. Meanwhile both Lucca and Marle hung back and moved to different sides. They could get some height and gain some advantage in this situation since they both used long range weapons. "You could always leave this place and we can forget all of this happened."

"Ha, pathetic weak humans. Lord Magus would have done well to wipe out your sorry excuse of an existence four hundred years ago," he growled in a strange aggressive but proud manner. He stepped towards me. "But you have it mistaken. Stepping into this place has sealed your fate. I will kill you for the sake of all Mystics! So that this path will be the method we will attack your species when the time comes!"

I expected him to charge forward and attack me with his large claws but that isn't what he did. Instead he used magic. A blast of water came rushing at me. I quickly jumped to my left and managed to dodge it and when I looked back I could see that the magical blast had taken a good chunk of stone off one of the rocks.

"Heh, looks like I'm a bit rusty. This might hurt a bit," Heckran growled as he launched another jet of water out. Then he launched several attacks again and again. I never thought I'd be so worried about getting hit by water until this moment. I was more surprised on how quickly he could launch magic attacks.

"Consume! Leave nothing behind! _Fire!_ " Suddenly Lucca's voice could be heard over the rush of attacks at me as a ball of fire hit Heckran and forced him to stop his onslaught.

"What? How could mere humans..."

"Shiver! The bite of winter! _Ice!_ " Marle hit him with a blast of Ice that continued to send him reeling.

I might as well add my own to the mix, "Resound! Cry from the heavens! _Lightning!_ " Then as if appearing from the sky, a bolt of electricity hit Heckran and forced the creature down to his knee for a moment.

"You dare defile a power that is the Mystics by birthright! I will kill you three for your insults!" Heckran then slammed his claws to the ground, and a rush of water came from him in all directions. I quickly turned and jumped towards a rock, and then launched myself backwards and towards Heckran.

Lucca and Marle both launched another blast of Fire and Ice at him as I came down with him and struck down with my katana. I struck his side and cut him, but it was too shallow. Despite having taken more magic attacks he rapidly attacked me before I could do anything, with his last swipe catching my side as I tumbled away. Heckran went to attack before I could recover but both Lucca and Marle stepped in front of me.

"Consume and Shiver! _Antipode!_ " The girls both spoke with conviction and suddenly Hecktran was covered in a thick ice, only a moment before being assaulted by an intense fire. The ice shattered away under the assault and Heckran collapsed back. He didn't look like he was holding on by much with that attack. I got to my feet and stepped forward with Heckran still somehow heckling at my feet.

"Lord Magus should have wiped you all out when he first summoned Lavos," Heckran growled but he had no energy to lash out at me. "Even killing me here won't stop Lavos or the glorious plan that Lord Magus set into motion. You worthless mortals will perish."

I then stabbed my katana into his back and with a twist, Heckran died. "We'll see about that."

After re-sheathing my sword and us taking a moment to recover our breath, we moved into the next room to see...a hole with water?

"It's like a whirlpool," Marle was leaning in close to inspect it.

"I see, so this tunnel covers the most of the distance underground, but then there is a natural current that can rush you to the surface and..." Lucca's eyes widened. "Oh, no no no...don't tell me we have to go in the water." She was panicked and looked over to me.

"Well you are probably right. Which means we don't have much of a choice. And with how strong that current looks it doesn't seem like we can second guess ourselves either. It's a one way trip," I pulled Marle back just out of concern of her slipping in.

"I'm not exactly in the best attire for swimming," Marle commented. "In this outfit you'll totally see right through it."

"Well I'll make sure I don't..."

"Oh no, its fine if you see me, Crono," Marle quickly dismissed my thought. I raised an eyebrow at this. Was she saying she didn't care if I saw her naked. Still she ignored me and pressed on, "I'm just worried about other people that might see us."

"You can use my other shirt for the meantime. We'll have to find a place to dry out all our stuff when we get out," This was kind of a pain, but when you are in a hurry I guess you can't complain too much.

"Crono, I can't do this," Lucca spoke louder than before. I looked at her, I knew that look, she was terrified.

"Lucca, yes you can. And I will be here with you the whole way," I moved towards her with Marle at my side.

"We'll both be there, okay?" Marle added. "Actually, Crono, can you leave her to me? And think you can manage to handle all our stuff?" Ah, I knew what she was getting at.

"Yeah, it isn't a problem. Compared to the training Mom used to put me through the extra weight still won't come close to slowing me down," I gave a smile. Marle then handed me her crossbow, bag and quiver. After which she took my extra tunic that I had taken out and wrapped it around herself and tightly before turning to Lucca who stood there somewhat slack jawed.

"No, nonono, we can't seriously be doing this," Lucca shook her head and stepped back but Marle grabbed her then quickly pulled off her bag and weapon and tossing it over to me. I was ready for it and caught it with my right hand. Marle then pulled off Lucca's helmet and pulled off the goggles. She handed me the helmet as she turned back and put the goggles on Lucca's head. The ones she had made for everyone for the Jet Bike. Marle also slipped hers on as well.

"Okay, you're going to be with me the whole time okay? All you need to do is hold onto me and kick. I'll take care of the rest. No time to think, okay? We just have to do it. Trust me, I'm confident in my swimming skills," Marle was now pulling Lucca's hair back to put it in a ponytail much like her own. Lucca was mostly just blankly letting it happen. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"This isn't funny, Crono," Lucca observing my laugh must have been enough to bring her sense back.

"It kinda is. I mean Marle's affinity is to water and yours is fire. In a odd way it makes sense why you are so hesitant to water and Marle is willing to dive right in," I mused with a half grin. Coincidence? More than likely, but hey who wasn't to say that our elemental affinity didn't help develop our personalities and interest. Not entirely but it affected us on some level. If it was a part of who we are, and our own power we were born in, then it made enough sense to me. "Just relax Lucca, we don't really have a choice, and there wouldn't be any reason for them to guard this place otherwise."

She sighed, "I know that. Logically and based on the strength of this whirlpool, it must move at a significant speed. Though I wish we didn't have to go into this blindly."

"Like going into a time gate?" I reminded her.

"Okay so maybe this isn't the most reckless thing we've ever done so far," Lucca admitted and turned back to Marle. "Alright, lets go quickly before I lose my nerve."

Marle took her over to the edge where the whirlpool was then looked over to me. "See you on the other side." She gave me a wink. "Alright Lucca, on three and we jump in. One, two...three!" Both Lucca and Marle took a deep breath before they jumped into the whirlpool and quickly were out of my sight.

I adjusted all the equipment on me as I approached the swirling pool. Everything was as secured as it could be. I tightened my bandanna on my head just in case and slipped on my goggles before I took a deep breath, and unceremoniously jumped into the pool. The moment I was under the surface I was swept down but then it immediately changed directions. I started to kick my legs to go with the current and tried to get a grasp of where I was going. Before I knew it I was going at an incredibly fast speed. And I could see sunlight coming down through the water. The movement was making me head towards land, as I could see the depth slowly disappearing as I approached the coastline. At this speed I would be there before I would even come close to needing air.

Suddenly the current whipped up and I followed it all the way to the surface. The force of it was such that it sent me launching into the air and out of the water. The momentum with all the extra luggage made me tumble a bit in the air but at the last moment I managed to flip onto my feet and slide to a stop on the beach on my feet. There I saw Lucca and Marle standing a few feet away.

"That was madness! We must have been going close 30 or 40 kilometers a mile..." Lucca was stabilizing her stance by leaning on her knees. And apparently trying to figure out how the whirlpool had so much force to make it a viable shortcut.

"Crono, Crono! That was so much fun, we have to do that again," Marle came bounding up to me with a grin.

"Yeah sure we just have to make our way back over to another continent and sneak past a cult of Mystics who want us dead. Oh and your Father closed off all the ports because they are on a manhunt for us because I'm sure he wants _me_ dead and you locked in a tower," I was trying to be playful but her reaction was exactly the opposite and she frowned and looked away. "Sorry, I was trying to joke but..."

"No its fine," she shook her head. "I mean it sounds funny. Who would have thought my life would become this? Not me. You know Father wasn't always so protective. Mom died of an illness and ever since then he was just distant. Do you know he never bothered to show up to check up on Mom? And now all this. Maybe a part of me is flattered that he would do all this to try and find me. But I couldn't say what his reasonings for wanting to find me is for my safety or just to get to you at this point. You're the one that corrupted the mind of a princess you know." While she had started off kind of somber she ended in a more playful note and gave me a small smile. But I could tell that the whole thing was more taxing on her mind than she was telling me. And it sounded like she resented her Father for whatever had happened around her Mother's death.

"Me corrupt you?" I shook my head. "The moment I met you, I knew you wanted adventure. The way your eyes lit up with everything we did together that day. I didn't think much of it at the time other than how attractive it made you but I realized when I learned you were the Princess that what I had seen was a girl that could finally be herself. And it was your Mother that had encouraged that growth in you. She was the one that pressed you to learn so much right? Like the crossbow, swimming, horseback riding and who knows what else."

"I also know a bit of fencing, you know," Marle said proudly with a slight grin. "Although I was always better with a crossbow. Most of my instructors thought it was ridiculous because a crossbow requires a lot of strength to properly use so they always wanted me to focus on fencing. But something about using a crossbow that always interested me. Well, Mom told me you can't always rely on a ranged weapon in fights, which is true."

"Oh you can use a sword too?" I can't say it wasn't too surprising. Fencing was typically seen as a practice done my nobles. A sword style that was effective as it was elegant. Well there was always pros and cons to every style of fighting. "It makes sense. But we shouldn't stay here long. We'll have to find a spot we can dry our clothes and change, as well as make sure the equipment is still good. We weren't in the water too long but still we should..."

"Crono! We're close to my place," Lucca was pointing off into the distance. I looked to see...it was the top of her house. Couldn't quite see it from over the ridge, but I knew it well enough to know where we were. If we're on the beach close to her house, then it was possible that Guardia Knights could be patrolling the area.

"We have to get off the beach. Come on, lets go," I said as I took Marle's hand and Lucca was rushing to catch up.

"What's the plan then? Wouldn't they be watching Lucca's house?" Marle asked.

"Maybe and maybe not. You have to remember there has been increased monster activity so the army already had their hands full before. And locking down the ports will take another chunk of those guards. Doing all that and trying to do patrols isn't really feasible," I pointed out as we moved over to the ladder that Lucca's family had on the cliff side of the beach. It wouldn't take us long to get to it. I was somewhat disturbed by how close we were to Lucca's house. I mean, if they did use that way to invade Guardia...it would put Lucca's family in the direct path of harm. Hopefully us killing Heckran puts a stop to any plans of that.

"Also many of the Knights are not too fond of the Chancellor or the King, to be honest," Lucca spoke as she finally caught up to us. Marle gave her a look but Lucca had a grim look on her face. "Most of them know Crono, or rather Crono's Father so I doubt any are even putting much effort into searching for him."

"Ah, right. Crono's Dad was a respected Knight. I don't think you ever said what your Father's name was, Crono," Marle asked a question I hadn't expected. I looked at her for a moment before looking towards the ladder we were getting close to.

"His name was Lazarus," I spoke it just loud enough for her to hear. Then I heard her audibly gasp.

"Sir Lazarus was your Father?" her response surprised me.

"Wait, you knew my Father?" I returned with a question of my own.

"Of course I did. He was Mom's most trusted bodyguard and..." she squeezed my hand. I had nearly forgot I had taken her hand earlier. "..your Father was the only one there for me when Mom died. But then soon after he was sent out on a mission and..."

"...He didn't come back," I finished for her as she nodded a confirmation. Something seemed incredibly off now. It was too much of a coincidence. We arrived at the base of the ladder and so we stopped. "I'll go up first and I'll motion when its safe." I felt myself shiver as a cold wind passed by. I looked at the girls as I realized they were definitely cold as well. "I hope your parents won't mind the sudden company."

"Just hurry up and go," Lucca muttered through chattering teeth.

* * *

 **A/N:**

Sorry about the long wait. Things in my life have been crazy to say the least. Between working a ton of overtime and my volunteer work, its made it difficult to keep up with everything. Plus at the moment my Persona 4 Fan Fiction takes a bit more priority over this one. (Until that one is finished, which I will then focus on this one) But here it is. It's got a lot to it, although maybe not as much progress is made here as some may like. Anyway lets talk about it a little bit.

So we learn about the Mystics. I realize that the DS translation refers to them as fiends and although that may fit the original translation better I don't really think it works too well. My reason for this is it sounds kind of demeaning, and while some of them might make a point of pride to have such an intimidating descriptor, I think the word Mystic just works better. Because Mystic doesn't really tell you much of anything about the race. Plus Mystics as a whole incorporate a ton of different species and is more of a collective than one race. We learn here that there was a great leader named Magus (the one and only) that supposedly created Lavos. Obviously we all know the truth of that detail, but this is the first time Crono and crew hear of it. And since they had zero to work off to begin with, it gives them a starting point to start their investigation into Lavos. I feel that how this information comes across the game actually lends credence to the possibility of their being a entity or higher power that leads Crono and them on their quest. Along the way subtle methods and sometimes not so subtle ways put Crono and company right where they need to be to get the next part of information. And likely why Lucca began to believe this later on (if you finish some of the side quests anyway). So they have a destination but have to get there.

Heckran Cave could have had any number of things happen inside. But realistically I just don't see them charging right in like they do in the game. Instead I had them pretty much stealth their way through the cave up until Heckran. A little easier to do narratively when you don't have to worry about leveling or developing magic. That will be done differently in this story. A lot of it has to do with how magic works in Crono Trigger with how it is described by Spekkio. He says that magic comes from the heart, which is what I covered in the previous chapter. So I'm going to attempt to tie it in with each characters personal growth. Which might be rough considering the characters we have to juggle and our limitations for time travel. Which I might change once they get everyone's favorite time machine, Epoch. Who says I can't have more seats on that thing? Lol. Anyway...

We learn that Crono's Father is named Lazarus. Is there any special meaning in that? Well maybe. Looking up the meaning of the name might give you some indication as to what his Father would have been like. And is there a deeper connection between Crono's Father and Marle's Mother? Well that will have to wait till much, much later. But it will come up again. Additionally I realize that I haven't given anyone surnames and its intentional. It's actually really simple. Only royalty has a surname. That's why the only characters that get surnames are Janus and Schala Zeal and Nadia "Marle" Guardia (Notice this trend actually extends to Chrono Cross as well). Instead most families outside of royalty keep dedicated family trees and records of their past. In this way everyone is able to prove who they are descendant from. This will likely come into play at some point in the story.

So Crono, Lucca and Marle will be at Lucca's house to start the next chapter. And with them having to figure out how they are going to get into the fair and to the Time Gate so they can head to the middle ages again. After all they are all wanted by the Knights and some of them are assigned to guard the fair after all. Or maybe the fair could be closed due to those events. I wonder...

I hope to have my next chapter up within a months time. I hope your all understanding and know that I'm not abandoning this story. There is a lot I want to do here but, real life has had nasty tendency to get in my way lately. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you have the time, leave me a review. Let me know what you think, what you like or dislike. Maybe even post a theory on what you think happened to Crono's Father Lazarus. I'll see you all next time! Thanks again!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 / Resolve for the Future**

I peeked out of the window again, as if I couldn't check often enough. "Are you sure the Guardia soldiers don't patrol this far out of town? They are supposed to be looking for us right?" I asked Taban, Lucca's Father after I closed the curtains once more.

"Well, Crono, it seems you've become extra cautious since you jumped through that time gate. And you kept my daughter in one piece after she went to break you out of prison," Taban grinned after a moment and I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Yeah, it seems I had to make a lot of choices lately that I wasn't exactly sure how to handle. Although a Princess and my childhood friend breaking me out of prison wasn't exactly my choice," I admitted as I turned and sat on the couch in front of the front window of the living room. "I at the very least had to make sure the two of them made it."

"You say that but it isn't like you can stay here either," Taban crossed his arms. "What's your next move?"

I had given Taban a brief rundown of what had happened up to this point. I knew the next step was taking us back to the middle ages. "We need to get back through the gate at the fair grounds. After what we saw in the future, its the only way we can move forward. Regardless of what we do here in this time, eventually this world will come to an end. What is left is nothing but ashes of humanity."

Taban didn't say anything for a long moment, instead he moved to the front door, "I can't pretend to know what you all witnessed but I have never seen Lucca so desperate before. She blamed herself you know. All the time she lost herself in her research doesn't mean she ever forgot about you. So when she heard you were on trial she went to save you and I got in her way. She went anyway. Saying after all the years she had been such an awful friend, she wasn't going to sit by at the moment you needed her the most. You two are like siblings after all, I knew trying to stop her was pointless. And I would never insult my daughter's pride and resolve to stand in her way. So if she is resolved to follow you, then I hope you also respect that and stay firm on the path you set out to take."

I nodded as Taban put on a coat, "Yeah, you're right."

"For now rest, take a shower. I'll be back in a bit and I can tell you what the state of the town and military is. And take a break for once. Stressing yourself out isn't going to help you when a real fight breaks out. And you have two girls now that will need you to be the leader. Like it or not," Taban said before disappearing out the front door.

Well, looks like Taban is the same as always. Thoughtful, vague and always trying to give me advice that never makes complete sense when he gives it to me. I guess some things just didn't change no matter how much time passes. Just like Lucca's house. Looking around it was research books and notes scattered all over. Mechanical devices and random machines were here and there. It always looked like this, although it was always a bit different. The stacks of books often changed over time depending on what invention or crazy idea either Taban or Lucca were thinking about or working on. That had never changed over the years.

I sighed heavily after a moment and leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes. This whole situation certainly hadn't been how I saw my life turning out. The original plan was actually quite simple in execution. Build up reputation as a huntsman and protecting the people of Truce. Then work as a bodyguard and help merchants supplies get to other places such as Porre. I thought that would be a way to maybe learn something about my Father. Turns out that would have likely been a dead end. My life changed when I ran into a princess. Who would have thought of that? No one ever expects to run into royalty...especially in a literal sense.

Yet, she turned fugitive to save my life, and ran off through a time gate alongside Lucca and I with little hesitation. There was no simple way to return to the kind of life she had before. Although from the sounds of it, she hardly thought it was much of a life. Still how had her life been when her Mother was still alive? And my Father served as her personal guard. Lazarus, my Father, he had been a knight in service to the kingdom of Guardia. Much like my Grandfather, and his Father before him. That was just the way of our family. Or so the way Mom liked to put it. Always following our hearts and what we believed in. If anything it means that each member of the family found their own reason to serve the Guardia family. Including my Father.

"Hey Crono," Lucca woke me up by tossing a towel at me. I stirred and opened my eyes. "Bathroom is free, go get cleaned up. And take your time."

"Right," I said taking the towel and getting to my feet. I walked passed her, "Your Father went into town to gather information for us. So I think its safe to say we aren't going to leave today. You know how your Father is."

"Well we weren't going to be able to take shelter here if we didn't explain the whole situation," Lucca sighed. "I'm sure we'll have more to talk about when its time for dinner. But don't worry about that and just focus on relaxing...not to mention getting to have a real bath. You should have heard Marle."

"Oh I think I can imagine," I chuckled as I went through the doorway to the back room and then went into a door at the base of the stairs that went into the bathroom. It was a pretty decent size bathroom. Well it certainly seemed a lot bigger when I was younger. It certainly had been quite a long time since I had been here.

"Crono, just leave your things by the door and I'll make sure they are clean. I also have some clothes you can wear in the meantime," it was Lucca, of course.

"Alright, thanks," I called back through the door as I did as she asked. I took off my clothes and put my weapon near the door before turning and moving into the bath portion of the bathroom. The bath and shower were essentially separated into its own portion. Once inside it was tiled and the whole room designed to make it easy to use. It had been a project that Lucca and her Father had labored to create after her Mother Lara lost her legs. So a number of the inventions in place to help her around the house. Lucca's Mom...I remember that day well.

I was filling the bath and closed the door to the bath area before stepping into the large tub. Even the tub was larger than normal, able to easily accommodate a few people. Obviously so Taban could help his wife in and out of the bath. After all, Taban blamed himself for his wife losing her legs. As did Lucca. Supposedly her leg was caught on a device and Taban wasn't home. Lucca, who had learned quite a bit still didn't know all the inventions her Father had been doing. When Taban came home, it was too late, Lara's legs were already gone. After which the doctor made it in time to save her life. And Lucca, she had been there to witness it all.

Lucca ran, and she came straight to my house. The moment she showed up she broke down and cried. Mom was there, having heard what happened when the doctor was suddenly taken by Taban while she was visiting the tavern. I was there and I held Lucca for a long time while she cried. All the while saying apologies to seemingly no one. After that though Lucca disappeared. She had only a passing interest in machines up to that point, but it all changed. After that incident, Lucca became obsessed with learning everything she could, seeking to surpass even her Father. The motivation for that was obvious to me. She didn't want to be helpless like that ever again. I could almost hear the thoughts coming from her the next time I saw her. She was basically shouting that next time, she would protect...

I sat up in the bath as a stray thought came to my mind. Then I shook my head and slumped back into the bath water as it finally filled completely and I shut off the water. I put my head back and put a wash cloth over my eyes as I closed them. Just what had been Lucca's thoughts the moment that Marle had gone through the gate? She must have blamed herself. I went after her immediately focused only on Marle but Lucca must have wanted to chase her too. Only she knew that it would be useless if we couldn't get back. So Lucca took a chance and allowed me to go after her. She bet everything that she would be able to reproduce the effect and a solid way to make sure that we could get back. When we were successful she must have been happy. She must have been eager to go home and tell her Father of the success, and to ensure she quickly put down notes and confirmation of her success. She had managed to save someone from something her machine may or may not have been the cause.

That's right, the pendant had been the cause for it to change. So if that was the case...then the origin of that pendant might give us an answer as to why it had the capability to do such. But would that even be connected to Lavos? Or was it all just coincidence that we found out about it? In the end it was still our choice to go into the time gate that led us to the future. There was no point in trying to pretend otherwise. There were other options...and I also could have been the kind not to follow after Marle. Then again, what kind of monster would I be if I did something like that?

"You know if you think too hard you'll gain wrinkles."

I quickly removed the washcloth and sat up as I saw another individual now resting across from me in the water. "Marle? What do you think you are..." I started but Marle quickly moved across and put her hand over my mouth.

"Do you mind not speaking so loud? Just what do you think will happen if Lucca finds me in here with you?" Marle said with a smile and then a small giggle escaping her mouth anyway.

"That's my line," I muttered as I pulled her hand off of me, but as I did she slipped and fell against me. Her obviously naked body pressed against me for a moment and she steadied herself by putting her arms around my neck. "Why are you in here?"

"Would you believe me if I said I wanted to see you naked?" she giggled. In a rare moment, Marle had her honey blond hair down, and I got to see how long her hair truly was.

"Isn't there some kind of order to all this? Like us dating for more than a few days...I dunno maybe a few months, years most likely would probably be a better way to start," I turned my eye away from her. It was bad enough that I could feel her body against mine, her breast against my chest. Oh boy...there was no way I was going to be able to hide my body's reaction to her very beautiful and shapely body.

"Crono, please," her voice trembled and I looked back to her and into her eyes. "I trust you with my life, that means I trust you with my body. I know that even if your body is...wanting. You won't do anything unless its something you think we both want and ready for. That is just who you are, right? All my life I was taught to be a certain way, act a certain way. Told that I was to be a specific kind of person. And all that time I had never been brave enough to ask why. Now, here I am with you." One of her hands slipped from my neck and into the water, I froze as her hand touched the side of my body. "I'm the one that is tempted you know. But I also know that you probably wouldn't fight me if I said I wanted you. You're a growing young man, I know at least that much."

"So you're in here out of some sort of curiosity or some odd way you are rebelling against your father?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I also did want to see you naked," She smiled. "Now are you going to actually wash up or just soak in the tub the whole time?"

"Oh? Looking for a chance to fully examine my body? Let me guess, most of what you know is what you learned from your tutors about the male body?" I was starting to see that Marle was in a playful mood. Or she was simply hiding the fact how the stress was getting to her. Well, I could play at this game too.

"Hmm, I am curious, maybe you can show me how it all works in detail," she said in a more seductive manner.

"No but I am curious to see where you're ticklish at," I found myself grinning.

"Huh?" she was confused for a moment that let me turn the tables as I put my hands to her side and attack her sides. "Pft...ha...hahaha. Hahahahahaha! St-stop it! Crono!" The two of us were now splashing water all over the place more than likely. But Marle was laughing almost uncontrollably now. "St-op...I...can't...take...any...more." Marle pleaded so I finally relented. Although when we stopped I noticed that she more on top of me than before. She was trying to catch her breath before she sat up. "Crono, I am sooo going to get back at you for that."

Seeing her like this, with her dazzling smile as she looked down at me. And completely naked. But I laughed. I found myself laughing and smiling like an idiot, and shook my head. "Nadia," I chuckled once more as I looked at her. "Thank you."

"You aren't alone in this, Crono," Marle then sat back in the tub opposite of me. "Don't think I haven't noticed how much you have been trying to handle on your own. I am your girlfriend you know. I wouldn't be much of one if I wasn't capable of this much."

"So your solution was to ambush me in the bathroom naked and just trust that it wouldn't lead to us having sex?" I asked bluntly.

"If we did, would you regret it?" Marle surprised me with her answer. "I was ready to give you all of me when I decided to leave the castle with you. Maybe it was the decision of a rash and naive princess that understands little of the world. But my Mother once told me that one day I would have to make a choice. And that it could not be taken half-heartedly. Once I made that decision, it would be all or nothing. When you were on trial, I knew then what Mom had been talking about. It was you, always you. The only way to save you meant leaving everything behind, and putting my love and future to you. So, Crono, if you wanted to have me here, in the bathroom of your childhood friends home, then I would more than willing. But the man I choose to love isn't like that. He isn't driven by desire, not fully anyway. You can't settle your mind until after you know exactly what we have to do to find the future that you want. A future where we don't have to keep running and aren't afraid of the future. So until you find that future you don't want to make any promises you aren't sure you'll be able to keep, right?"

I sat back as I looked into those beautiful eyes. The eyes that could see right through me as if I was an open book. "I don't know if I should be impressed, scared or worried about how you can understand me so well. And yeah, the thought of us having sex in Lucca's house doesn't sit well with me either. But your right. I don't want to give you any promises if we aren't confident about the future. I mean, what if you got pregnant in the midst of us trying to save the world? What would we do then? Put saving the world on hold? Have a child and then what? Abandon them so we could keep pursuing a way to save the future? I have no doubts that even if something like that were to happen we would find a way to make it work, but that isn't good enough. When all is said and done, I want that choice to be something that happens where we don't have to fear for the future. We can go forward knowing that the future will be what our children make it to be."

Marle then moved back over to me and kissed me fully, and pulling me close to her. As she delved the kiss deeper for a long moment she let out a moan of pleasure, and I couldn't help but respond to her in kind. Then she pulled away and stood up. "That, Crono, is one of the reasons I love you. And the more I learn about you, the more reasons you give me that prove that I was right in my choice. I'm going to get out now. If I disappear for too long Lucca might realize what I was doing. And you sir, might want to hurry and wash up." Marle winked and grabbed a towel wrapping around herself.

I looked at her and really took her in...her long golden hair and a body that couldn't be more perfect. "Nadia, have I ever told you just how beautiful you are?"

She giggled, "Not often enough."

"I like your hair down. I know it isn't ideal for combat though," I commented.

"One day you'll have the pleasure of seeing more than just my hair down. We'll just consider today a sneak preview," Marle giggled as she finally left me alone in the bathroom.

I sigh heavily as I sat back up. I was now mostly frustrated but at the same time I could think a bit more clearly. Taban was right...Marle and Lucca needed me to be a leader. I wasn't sure if I could do that job. However, whether I could do it or not didn't matter. It was something I had to do. No, it was something I wanted to do. Just like Mom said. We don't defend this land due to honor or some sense of obligation. No, my family only defends what it cherishes most. And right now, there was nothing that I cherished more than Lucca and Marle.

* * *

"I had a feeling you'd bring Mom back with you," I scratched my head but moved forward anyway as Mom walked in behind Taban. "Hey Mom."

"Normally I think I'd have enough reasons to be absolutely furious with you. I mean you go running off to another time to save a princess, then you come back and get sent to trial where they basically blackmailed their way to getting a guilty verdict. Where that princess and Lucca go in and do a ridiculous rescue mission that has you disappearing to who knows where and then have the whole damn military looking for you," Mom walked right up to me with the expression I expected. She was definitely angry. At least that is what I believed up until she hugged me. "Thank God you are alright."

Mom then pulled me into a hug. This had me more confused, "Are you sure you don't want to hit me or something?"

"I'm sorry, its my fault. If there is anyone that could be to blame here, its me," It was Marle. She bowed, her hair still down but Marle was back in her white jumpsuit. "I was selfish and involved him, and I didn't think of the consequences when he took me back."

Mom pulled away from me and turned to Marle, "Mom, she..."

"I don't want to hear it, son. This is between me and her," Mom moved forward towards Marle. She kept her head down and continued to bow at my Mother. I guess this situation was bound to happen from the beginning. I hope Marle was somewhat prepared for this possibility. "Explain yourself, why did you get involved with my son?" Mom's tone was surprisingly harsh, but I think I understood what Mom was doing. She was testing her resolve.

"It wasn't something I planned. I ran into him under Leene's Bell as it rang. I had never been outside of the castle and I wanted to make the most of my time so I asked him to come with me, after he helped me find my pendant. He was such a gentleman that we ended up spending the day together. Your son made me feel happier than I had ever been in a very long time. So I was scared, more and more as we spent more time together as I realized I would have to say goodbye. I was greedy. Me! A princess who wanted for nothing, and yet I risked it all to spend more time with your son. I stayed later than I should, and because of that it led to him rushing to save me and after he risked his life, my fool of a Father would have killed him. He saved me and he was only offered death. So I was selfish and I even took Lucca's help for my own advantage, so I could leave my Father and take your son with me. It makes him a wanted man but I...I'm in love with your son and so help me I am not going to let anything get in my way," Marle stopped, her voice somewhat raised but she still stayed bowed to my Mother.

"So even if I told you to leave my son? You wouldn't listen?" Mom asked. I know that tone.

"No, I can't. I am in love with your son," Marle didn't back down.

"And if I took him away from here?" Mom pressed.

"I'd find a way to find him and take him back," Marle resolutely continued.

I sighed, "Mom will you stop picking on my girlfriend?"

"Huh?" Marle looked up. "Picking on me?"

"Oh come now, Nadia. Do you really think I would doubt you after everything that has happened? You saved my son and not only that. But my husband made me promise that if you ever needed my help, I would be here for you," Mom added something I had never heard before.

"Sir Lazarus? He told you to do that?" Marle was speechless.

"Dad said that?" I added my own voice to this.

"Your Father was good friends with Queen Aliza. And he was often charged with looking out for Princess Nadia by her after all," Mom gave Marle a smile and moved towards her, she pulled Marle into a hug. "Thank you, Princess. For saving my son."

"No...if anything it was your son who saved me," Marle hugged my Mother back. "He saved me from myself."

I did what? I looked over to Lucca who had watched this exchange silently. She looked as confused as I was about what Marle had said. I looked back and Mom was smiling towards me as she was still holding on to Marle. "Sometimes, my dear, your acts are more important than you realize." She said simply. Marle was crying now, but Mom held her close.

Was it our time at the festival? She had risked so much to go to it. No doubt she would have gotten into serious trouble even if she went back on her own. Unless...she never intended to go back. "Nadia." I clenched my fist as I stepped forward. Mom let her go as Marle turned towards me still with tears running down her face. "You weren't planning to go back home, were you?"

Marle kept her head down, refusing to look at me, "That was before we met. Please don't make me say it, Crono."

"Crono, what are you talking about?" Lucca asked.

"Her plan wasn't to return to the castle after the festival. She thought that the Millennial Festival would be a fitting place for her last day," I said gritting my teeth.

"Please, don't. I'm sorry...I'm sorry," Marle was crying again.

"Her last day? You mean...she was planning to commit suicide?" Lucca gasped after the realization hit her. "So thats what you meant."

"Her Father trapped her in her own home. Not allowed to have friends, not allowed to converse with anyone other than her handmaidens. And even then I bet they didn't talk too much out of concern for her. For fear of what her Father would do to further restrict her. Nadia couldn't stand it anymore, especially when he refused her to even go and see the Millennial Festival. So she would go, no matter what it takes because at the time it didn't matter what happened after. Because she never planned for there to be anything beyond it," I stepped forward and pulled Marle into my arms.

"I hate him! I hate my Father that couldn't even bother to visit Mom when she was dying! Because of that man, it was me and Sir Lazarus with Mom. And then, he even took him away! Sent him off on a mission that was far below him!" Marle was yelling into my chest as she cried. "But I met you, Crono. You made me smile, you made me feel again. And then you went above and beyond when you came after me. If it wasn't for you...I...I..." Her cries rang louder. "I'm sorry, Crono...I'm so so sorry."

So that was the truth behind what some may say was a naive Princess looking for the thrill of disobeying her Father. Of taking in a Festival for selfish reasons. But the truth is never so simple and true motivations are often hidden so no one can see. Hidden deep enough because we don't want to admit the truth to ourselves. That was it all this time. Something I saw in her eyes, something I could see that she didn't want to admit. I only saw it because I knew that feeling too. That feeling of helplessness, that everything you do is worthless. That nothing you do ever seems to matter. The truth is that most of the time, we can't see the truth. After all we only see things from one angle, one perspective. We are only one person after all.

"Who was the one saying I needed to stop trying to do everything by myself? It's a two way street, you can't handle all of this on your own. I mean, as your boyfriend, I have to be capable of at least doing that much," I held her close. Marle was clutching to me as I turned to Mom.

She moved past us, "I know what you want to say, but we can talk more at dinner." Mom said as she left towards the kitchen.

"Gina you are the same as always," Taban commented as he followed my Mom.

"He's right about that," Lucca said as he moved to my other side and put a hand on Marle. "That is Crono's Mom, Gina. She doesn't let anyone run away from their thoughts, especially if she thinks its holding you back. It all has to do with their family."

"I guess so. Mom fell in love because of my Father's conviction, or so she tells me. Even before she learned the motto of our family. Follow your passion, and protect it with all that you are...well I'm just paraphrasing but its just how it is. My family may have served the Guardia Kingdom for generations upon generations, but we all served for our own reasons, our own passion. It wasn't loyalty to our country or its people. Only loyalty to ourselves and our passion," I imagine it was an odd concept to consider. After all our family on the surface would look like loyal servants of Guardia, but it was only because they had each found their own reasons to fight for Guardia. Right now, I only had reasons to fight against them. The biggest of which was currently in my arms. Marle likely had been planning to commit suicide but I felt her real reason for coming to the Festival was to look for a reason to stop herself.

"Only to yourselves and your passion?" Marle repeated as she seemed to be regaining her composure. "I like that."

"Come on you two. Dinner should be ready," Lucca was looking over Marle for a moment before glancing at me before heading to the dinning room herself.

"Crono," Marle whispered after a moment. "Shouldn't you be mad at me? I was telling you earlier that I'm here for you, but here I was thinking I shouldn't tell you everything."

"To be honest, it doesn't really matter," I shrugged. "After all that was before you met me, right? And it isn't like I know exactly what I want. Not completely, but I like to think I'm getting a better idea. Come on...though I suspect it won't get much easier. It isn't like our parents are going to just let us go with their complete blessing."

Marle was somewhat reluctant but she nodded as I led her back to the dining room. Everyone was already sitting at the table, Marle and I sat together on one side with Lucca in the spot next to me.

"Gina, how are the kids doing?" Lara asked from the end of the table.

"The increase in military presence certainly hasn't done us any favors but it hasn't affected the kids too much. Though they have been wondering where Crono has been. And it seems they haven't been too keen to let out any details," Mom explained as she was dealing herself a portion of dinner. Which tonight looked to be steak and mash potatoes. It was what Taban always seemed to like cooking. Mostly because it gave him an excuse to use his grill. Well just like inventing, cooking was also a time that Taban liked to experiment. Sometimes it worked out well, and others not so much.

"So have they not posted that we're wanted by the King?" Lucca asked.

"That's right. Soldiers are looking for you but the townspeople don't know that," Taban answered.

"Right but we should avoid getting anyone involved regardless if they know or not," I said shaking my head.

"Yet you have no problem involving us," Lara commented. "Well that is what family is for anyways. Wouldn't be much of a family if you couldn't rely on us when you needed to."

"Thanks Mom," Lucca smiled. "Still, we didn't have the intention of getting anyone else involved. But it would be unrealistic to try and get through Guardia on our own."

"Yes, and investigating the state of town isn't easy when everyone knows who you are," I drummed my fingers on the table for a moment before finally reaching for some food for myself. "I'd say we've lucked out so far. I mean, going through that cave and using that jet stream and come out close to the house here. I don't think we could have had it easier returning to our time in a place where we wouldn't instantly get arrested. I doubt I would even get a trial the second time around."

"That trial was a farce to begin with. He blackmailed and paid off people to make eye-witness accounts for things that didn't happen. And my Father forbid me from even showing to the trial," Marle muttered as she took a bite of her food that she had already served for herself.

"Your presence wouldn't have done any good either way," Lucca added with a shrug. "The chancellor would have gotten your testimony thrown out one way or another."

"Either way, whatever you would say wouldn't help anyway. There was a significant amount of time that passed when you went through the time gate and when you returned. And I doubt trying to explain time travel is the best of ideas. Who knows how someone might want to use it. As odd as it might be, this outcome might be the best, given what happened," Taban elaborated a bit more on the logic.

"Still, you say the world is going to end in the future?"Lara asked.

"In the year 1999," Lucca sighed. "Although we don't know much about this being known as Lavos. We did learn he was created by Magus during the middle ages."

"I don't like the fact that it is our only lead," Marle said.

"We could always start at the castle and see what they know there. I mean we've had to fight a number of things to get here, but even with magic, Magus is something else entirely," I shook my head. "He was the leader of the Mystics."

"Yeah, right up until he mysteriously disappeared," My Mom spoke. "Nothing is simple and the path you set on may only become more dangerous. But this is the battle you chose, isn't it?"

I blinked and looked up at Mom for a moment. I sighed and nodded, "At the time I was sure that there was no way of knowing just how far we would have to go. But still made the decision either way. We don't even know what we can do. But how can we know what will happen in the future and just live our lives without thinking about it? It would be one thing just knowing its going to happen...it is something else to see it with our own eyes. The future is a desolate wasteland that the inhabitants have forgotten what its like to even live. Even the land itself has given up on living...it isn't that the land is dead either, but its like...life has chosen to not return."

"That's why the three of you decided to save the future," Lara said after a moment. "Even if you don't know how to save it."

"I'll never forget what we saw. The humans there are barely living at all. If anything I think the only one that was still living is the one we met named Johnny. And he wasn't the most normal of individuals," Lucca pushed up her glasses. "Either way, it doesn't change my mind that it is what we should do. No matter what we may have to face."

"I spent my life, not understanding much of anything. I mean I had a ton of tutors and I had Mom, and even Dad was great at that time. I never knew what pain was...not until Mom died. Then it was like my whole world flipped on its head. But even all of that didn't prepare me for seeing the future. My problems with my Father don't mean anything if the future of Guardia is that devastation. So my future, and the future of Guardia...as the Princess its my duty to do all I can. Because if I don't then I would never be worthy of that title. I would never be deserving of the kindness that Crono has given me. That Lucca has given me. For them, for all of us, I will change that," Marle declared in a way I had never really heard her speak before.

"Good, because all of you will need that conviction if you are going to keep going. Which comes to the next part. Exactly how we are going to get you onto the fair grounds," Mom, Lara and Taban all grinned. Oh boy...looks like Mom had a plan.

* * *

"I didn't realize we would be in this for so long. It wasn't so bad when we first got into it," Lucca commented in a low voice.

"I did say to try get into the most comfortable position you could," I say in a whisper, wishing I had some amount of room to stretch but I could really only move my arms a bit. Well, Marle was laying on my right side, her head against my chest. Lucca was to my left but she was towards the side of the box. Yeah, all three of us were in a large wooden crate. My Mother's brilliant plan to get us into the festival grounds.

"I'm nice and comfy here," Marle replied. Yeah, as if I wouldn't be aware that the princess had gotten about as cozy as she could with me as they were putting on the top of wooden crate on. Eesh, I wonder how hated I would be by the guys if they knew I was dating the princess. Strangely out of everything that has happened that might be the one of the most normal things to happen.

Still I guess Mom was right...coming in as cargo was easy enough, considering the guards don't care to search inventory going into the Millennial Fair. The main reason for that was actually more simple than I realized.

 _"Most of the soldiers don't agree with the King or Chancellor, so most of them simply do the routes they are ordered to without even looking for any of you. And most do so in pairs so that if they do find you they can pretend they didn't find you at all. Helpful that the Chancellor didn't give any particulars onto how they were meant to find you," Mom smiled._

The truth being that there wasn't much support behind the current King because of his recent actions, and the fact he had been rather standoffish from his people. The fact that Marle had been hidden from the people was one thing that they didn't like. They wanted to know what their Princess was like. Even I had been curious to know. Now he was known as the paranoid King that trusts no one but the chancellor. Because of that there had been much discontent around the kingdom. I knew that...but it was a problem we couldn't deal with at the moment. In order to combat that we would need support behind the princess, and that would only put her life in danger at the moment.

So for now we were going to the Middle Ages and focusing solely on finding out about Lavos. One world ending problem at a time I suppose.

We were being moved again. The gravity shifted a bit as we were obviously being lowered from the cart. We all stayed as silent as we could in the meantime.

"Eeesh, how much supplies is your Dad making you bring for his cart? I don't think he would need this much," Someone spoke.

"Well you know Dad. He likes to make sure he has enough for demand," Another voice that I recognized spoke. It was Fritz. "Thanks for the help Edward."

"Yeah, yeah, next time get Ben to help you. I can't stand this stuff," Edward was obviously walking away.

The next moment the top of the crate popped open and I saw two individuals. "Rise and shine Crono and company. We've arrived." The sudden light from the sun made me cover my eyes.

"Thanks for the help, Fritz. I can't believe to managed to get talked into this by my Mother," I mutter as I helped Marle sit up.

"She wasn't even talking to me actually. She was discussing it with my Father and I interrupted. Well along with one other," Fritz said as another individual came into view.

"Hey Crono. Oh, Lucca, let me help you out," it was Elaine, Fritz's sister. She moved to the side and steadied Lucca to get her out of the crate.

"Thanks, Elaine. I think I was in there for too long," Lucca seemed to have problems standing for a moment.

Marle swung her legs out and hopped out as I got to my feet and followed behind her. "So your Dad knows huh? I shouldn't be too surprised." I reached back into the box and grabbed the rest of our stuff. Giving Marle and Lucca their bags and weapons before grabbing my own. As I did I noticed my bag was a bit heavier and I opened it.

"Its a thank you gift from Dad," Elaine smiled. "For saving Fritz. Well its from me too. Thank you, Crono as well as Lucca and your highness. I don't know what I would have done if Fritz had been executed." She bowed, "Thank you for saving his life."

I scratched the back of my head for a moment, "I would say it was more luck than anything but I won't turn down your help. I know how much Fritz means to you."

Elaine took her brothers arm, "Fortunately because of all the commotion you caused in your escape they didn't even realize he had escaped himself. Even with how clumsy my brother is."

Fritz sighed, "Either way I owe you big to have my life still. You should be able to walk around the fairgrounds without much problems. The soldiers are only posted at the entrance. So you can make it back to Lucca's invention without a problem." He smiled a bit, it was obvious that Elaine was still worried about her brother being taken.

"Either way, we shouldn't linger," Lucca said as she was adjusting her bag. "Even if the soldiers are on our side, it would be best if they didn't have to lie to cover for us."

She was certainly right about that. I tied my katana to my waist, "Thanks again Fritz and Elaine. Give my best to your Father as well."

"Good luck, whatever it is you are trying to do," Fritz said and offered me his hand. I shook his hand.

"Thanks," I said after a moment. Then I started to walk off.

"I wonder how much the Chancellor is doing behind Father's back," Marle muttered from next to me. As we moved up to where Leene's Bell was and up towards where Lucca's invention was situated.

"There is no point in thinking about that right now," I moved up the stairs that leads to Lucca's invention and we all stand in front of it after a moment. "Right now we focus on our goal, and that is Lavos. Maybe along the way we can figure out what to do."

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll have to come back at some point," Marle nodded.

"Are we ready?" Lucca asked as she pulled out the Gate Key. I nodded. "Alright, to the Middle Ages!" She held up the Gate Key and the Time Gate appeared in the same place it had been when we went through before. Without hesitation, the three of us jumped in.

Going through the time gate still felt the same. It was like a slide except you really couldn't tell where you were going. But you had to keep somewhat tense so you would be ready when it dumps you out. Having only traveled through it a few times I hardly knew if the Gates were the same in way of how it traveled. Still it was no time to think about that as we came tumbling out of the gate. It was the same place as before. Truce Canyon.

Fortunately we didn't run into each other on the other side of the gate. We all stood up.

"This place again, huh?" I helped Marle to her feet.

"The first time I was here, I was really scared and confused. I didn't really take in what this place looked like," Marle said as she looked around.

"First time I was here I got jumped by imps," I scratched my head. Fortunately I hadn't had to kill any of them as they had listened to me. Not the most normal of circumstances, but it seemed like not all Mystics necessarily agreed with Magus' approach to the war against humans. No, the more we learned, it was obvious that not everything is black and white. Everyone had their own agenda and motives. So that made me wonder, exactly what would Magus gain by destroying the world? In the end all intelligent beings were selfish. That meant there was a specific reason why destroying the world seemed like the option to carry out. I guess answering that question was first on our agenda. Well actually the first is finding out the state of things. "Let's head into town and head for the Inn. We should be able to hear some developments since the last time we were here."

"Sounds like a good place to start," Lucca adjusted her glasses before checking her weapon. "Let's try to be as incognito as we can. We still don't know what the effects of our presence might do."

"Lets talk as we walk. I don't think we can realistically do that personally," I said as we left towards the bridge. Looking around it seemed the Mystics that had been in the area were gone. Well, if that blue imp from before was the one leading them I suppose it would make sense. At least this time I wouldn't have to make my way in a dangerous manner.

"We're planning to change the future. I don't think we should hesitate to do what we have to," Marle commented.

"I know that, and so far we've been lucky. But...I don't know. I'm just worried," Lucca admitted as we made our way to the entrance of Truce Canyon. "With the presence of Time Gates we know that they are manipulated by some sort of energy. All of it follows the rules of the Conservation of Time. Energy is used, but yet eventually stabilizes itself enough to be used again. So in those terms it means that it regenerates over time. Plus a gate is not stagnated to a single point in time, but is continually moving forward. It's tied to a single location but it is still subject to the rotation of the planet. Meaning that it is still affected by normal time. Does that make sense?"

"I think so...if the gate was transfixed that means it would only ever exist in that spot at that exact moment in time. Meaning it would only be able to appear when the conditions line up. So if it had been transfixed it would not have been possible to come back," I said as we were leaving the canyon. "In that regard I guess that means we already proved that what the Old Man said was true. So at the very least we know it is tied to location and not stagnated to a specific time. In that case its been what...a week since we were here?"

"So it has been a week since we left huh?" Marle thought about it for a moment. "But aren't we coming close to the time where Magus supposedly disappeared?"

Lucca shook her head, "It's hard to know. Supposedly the force that managed to make it to Magus' castle disappeared as well. So the dates we learned are just approximations made by the castle historians."

"Disappeared huh?" I shook my head. I might be jumping to conclusions but wouldn't that be the same as jumping through a Gate? "Lucca, what happens when we aren't in our own time line?"

"You mean about us specifically?" Lucca asked, to which I nodded a confirmation. "I don't know for sure, but I have a working theory. Think of time as a river and we are merely a part of it. But when we go through the Time Gate we get taken out of the river, and become separate. As if each of us are separate glasses of water. Yet we are still affected by the river when we enter it again."

"So even if we are removed from our part of the river, we are still affected by what happens?" I scratched my head. "Like what happened when Marle disappeared."

Lucca frowned, "Yes that is possible but something still bothers me about that."

"What is that?" Marle asked.

"It's because you remember where you were in that time. I don't know if it takes time for the time continuum to correct itself but the result should have been you disappeared but there is something else that didn't happen. Crono and I still retained all of our memories of you, even though by my theory it shouldn't be possible. We should have forgotten about you completely. And our circumstances for being in the past would have also changed. But it didn't. At the time I just assumed there was a window we would be able to correct the action. And maybe that is true but I'm not sure if that is right," Lucca shook her head as we could see Truce coming into view in the distance. It seemed to be morning still judging by the sun.

"I'm guessing you have a thought about that as well," I looked at her.

"I don't have anything to work with to come up with any evidence, but I presume it might have to do with us being in a different time to begin with. Remember my theory? Like we are separate glasses of water. I think that our memories would remain unchanged until we were back in our own time. Back in our proper place in the river of time," Lucca said it so calmly but I think I understood it.

"So it would only become permanent once the river of time is corrected? Meaning the moment we returned back and Queen Leene had not been rescued means that Marle would have disappeared for good, along with our memories with her," I shook my head. "So in that case we wouldn't have been in danger of forgetting her while we were still here in the Middle Ages."

"Only if my theory is true but there is no way in knowing for sure. And finding out is potentially dangerous. But I also agree with you two that us wanting to change the future means that inevitably we will have to change the course of history. That I know for sure," Lucca sighed. "Still we can't be reckless, we have to think of long term changes we might cause as the result of our actions."

"Yeah, I understand your concern. For the moment we'll have to take it by a case by case basis. I mean, we kind of already have a problem in that regard..." I muttered as we were getting close to the Inn.

"Oh yeah, wasn't Crono knighted in part of rescuing Queen Leene?" Marle moved to my side. "Being a Knight at the very least gets you some privilege in this time period."

"I suppose, plus Queen Leene was nice enough not to demand too much information. The most they know about us as that we are from the edges of the Guardia Kingdom at most. Not that I think they would believe a story like us being from a different time," I shrugged as we finally entered the Inn which was also part tavern on the base floor. The three of us entered to see a moderately sized crowd sitting in the tavern.

"Say that again? Is that true?" A man on the far side of the tavern was talking to a younger man. "We've lost Zenan Bridge?"

"Yeah, not only that they said the King was injured in the attack," the young man said.

Another young man next to him was casually eating next to him, "No reason to get in a tiff about it. You know that a warrior with the hero badge has shown up. I heard he headed up to visit the King. So if the Legendary Hero has shown up then there isn't anything to worry about. Magus' army won't stand a chance against him."

"Hold on," I found myself walking up to the three. "You said the King was injured?"

"I don't know for sure, but that is what they said," The young man confirmed.

"Crono, let's head for the castle," Marle said. I nodded.

"Thanks for the information," I gave a quick bow and turned leaving the Inn with Marle and Lucca behind me. "Still if the Mystic's have reached Zenan Bridge that will make it hard to investigate Magus. After all, Magus never took to the front lines of the battle in what has been recorded. He rarely ever left his castle."

"That seems strange to me. He is revered by a lot of Mystics in present day. We heard that directly from the imps that reside in Medina. But if he never did anything directly, then why and how did he lead the Mystics?" Marle asked.

"Mystic culture is a lot different. For us as humans we respect the King more when he enters into battle along side us. It motivates soldiers to put in more effort when they know that their King is willing to put his own life on the line for his people. I assume you get taught something similar to that, Marle," I looked over to her as we were now moving through Truce to head to the forest path to the castle.

"Yes, as loyalty we hold ourselves to standards. After all its only by upholding those beliefs that we can continue to act in the best interests of the people, and not allow our standing to influence our decisions. We can't allow ourselves to believe that the problems of our people are not our own," Marle said as she was picking up her pace to the castle. She was definitely worried about the King.

Lucca and I picked up our pace to match her. I couldn't help but think she was greatly affected by the state of the kingdom in our time. If there was unrest among the people then it was clear she believed her Father was not following the beliefs her family had passed down. And no doubt had been passed to her as well. It was her Mother Aliza that had been insisting she keep up her training and learning of certain subjects. History, culture, archery, fencing and many other subjects included. Now that I think about, it be a good idea to find her a fencing sword for close combat if needed.

Navigating the forest was easy. And approaching the castle was a lot less nerve wrecking because of the the difference in time periods. While the path through the forest was the same, it was also different. Maybe it was just the difference in how the place felt over anything else. Either way as we approached the castle it was obvious that it was different as the guards were immediately defensive to our presence.

"Halt! Who goes there?" One of the guards demanded.

"Hold it, I recognize you. Sir Crono is it not?" The other guard eased his stance. "We apologize for such a greeting. But times have been turbulent as of late."

"I heard the King was injured in battle. And that we've been pushed back across Zenan Bridge. I came here to find out what was true," I said after a moment.

The guard nodded, "It's true, although it might be best if you go inside. The King is currently resting in his chambers but I'm sure Queen Leene could use some familiar faces to help ease her concern for him. It seems like she has not left his side and hasn't eaten anything since he's returned."

"Thanks. We'll do just that then, thank you," I bowed as the guards opened the castle doors for us and showed us inside. We made our way up the stairs and into the main audience chamber where the throne was. "A lot can happen in a week it seems. And Frog left too so this development is probably not an ideal one."

"Frog is an excellent swordsman. And it sounded like he was once in service to the crown. So perhaps his transformation into that form has to do with a previous engagement with the Mystic army? I mean the Mystics are the only ones in this time capable of magic," Lucca speculated. Somewhat unusual for her but probably for the best since she hardly has time to prove anything. I guess it was obvious that she would eventually allow herself to simply speak her thoughts. It was a nice change for her.

"True enough. Although we can use magic ourselves it does limit the number of suspects that could have done that to Frog. Though whether that is important for us to think about is another matter," I said as I saw the Chancellor talking with a guard.

He turned and recognized us after a moment, "Ah, Sir Crono, Lady Lucca and Lady Marle. It is a pleasure to see you all again. I wish we were in a better state to receive you but it it quite chaotic since the Mystics have pressed their advance."

"Please don't worry about it. We were hoping we could check up on the King and Queen," Marle spoke.

He nodded and motioned for a guard to come to him, "See them to the King's chamber please. Perhaps they might be able to convince the Queen to rest herself." The Chancellor looked back to us, "Any help you can do would be much appreciated."

"Of course, Chancellor," I nodded.

"If you would follow me, Sir Crono," The Guard motioned us to a staircase on the left side. As we went up the stairs we passed a few additional guards until we finally arrived to the top floor where the King's Chamber was.

"Ah, Sir Crono. It is a pleasure to see you," One of the Guards welcomed us. "And this is Lady Lucca and Lady Marle that accompany you?"

"Yes, we heard the King was injured," I replied.

"Indeed, the King fought bravely against the Mystic's troops. He lead multiple charges against the Mystics. Honestly, if it hadn't been word of the Hero's arrival, he may have fought to his death," the Guards words caught me off guard.

"The Hero?" Lucca asked.

"Yes, the Legendary Hero, he carries the Hero's medallion after all. Honestly, I'm ashamed of myself. I gave that boy the boot, thinking him no more than some peasant brat. How was I to know he was the Legendary Hero? Even still, he forgave me. Compassion to rival courage. A Hero, indeed," The Guard certainly seemed convinced. "Ah but we shouldn't keep you with idle chatter. Please enter to see his Highness." The Guards opened the doors.

"Your Highness, Sir Crono, Lady Lucca and Lady Marle are here to see you," the Guard who had been escorted us announced before we walked in.

The King was in his bed, and his head was slightly bandaged, but he was under covers so there was no telling the extent of his injuries. The Queen sat at the side of the bed and holding the King's hand when we entered. And it seemed the Queen's handmaiden was here as well. Even from a glance it was easy to tell that the Queen had not slept. The bags under her eyes were hard not to notice. "It is a pleasure to see you Sir Crono," The King sat up a bit in his bed.

The Queen also turned and greeted us with a smile. "I did not expect you all to ever return."

Well neither did we, but things had changed quite a bit since we had been here. Still there was no reason to explain our circumstances as it would be a waste of time. Instead, we needed to find out more about Magus. Maybe about why the Mystics had started to press their attack now of all times. And the talk of a Legendary Hero concerned me because it wasn't a story that existed in our time. Or rather it had become nothing more than just a myth.

"We heard you had been leading the defense. That's a bit reckless, don't you think?" I moved to the other side of the bed. Marle moved next to the Queen.

"The men's morale has been low as of late. We've barely had time to recover from the Queen's disappearance. Likely the whole plot had been a means to distract us while the Mystics had been gathering a attack force. There have been significant losses on both sides. And if I was able to take a portion of their burden by carrying some myself then I would say it is more than worth it," The King said with a light smile, but I could tell just how dedicated he was to his people. This had been his means to lighten his men. Injured on the front lines was definitely a way to show how much you care for your people. No doubt the soldiers holding the line of defense had been inspired by their King. If you weren't willing to put yourself in danger then some may question a King's loyalty to their country and its people. Leading the defense yourself left little room for doubt.

"Marle, why don't you take the Queen and get her some food," I said looking up. The Queen looked up at me, obviously going to object.

"Your own health is also part of your responsibility. You can't have his Highness worried about the War and you," Marle and Lucca took the Queens hands and pulled her out of the room. The handmaiden gave me a bow of thanks and rushed off after them.

"Thank you, Sir Crono. No amount of words from me would get her to leave my side. And it isn't like I could force her to do so," The King sighed. "So, what does bring you back here?"

I thought about how I could approach the subject, "We found out that Magus is planning to create something. Something that would not just affect Guardia, but the entire world. However, we aren't sure exactly he is going to go about doing it. Still, I think our best bet is to get to Magus. But if his armies are at the bridge then it will be difficult to do so."

"The attack force he sent isn't that big, but Magus' general he sent is named Ozzie. He is capable of raising the dead. So he raises our own defeated soldiers so the more we lose, the more he gains. All that needs to be done is defeat the general or force him to flee. Either way, it seems they haven't bothered with the neighboring towns either," The King coughed slightly but he held up a hand to indicate he was okay.

Ignoring the towns and going at the bridge? It was an obvious choke point that would lead to a stalemate. A thought crossed my mind, "Their buying time. He can keep the army occupied while Magus completes whatever it is that he is planning."

"Yes, that was my conclusion as well," The King moved a bit. "The kid bearing the Hero Badge went south to seek the sword capable of defeating Magus. Supposedly with the blade, Magus' magic power will be lessened. If you plan to get to Magus' castle then I would seek out the one you called Frog."

I blinked, that was a bit to take in, "How was he able to get past the bridge?"

"I believe he managed to get across in our latest clash with the Mystic army," The King recalled. "He is quite young and I honestly feel quite guilty for not stopping the boy. Still, he has the hero badge. And despite how he looks he carries himself quite well."

"But your worried," I finished and the King nodded in confirmation. This was no good...either way we needed to find a way to break through in order to progress. And if we didn't go fast enough we might not get to Magus fast enough to do anything. "Your Highness, this might be presumptuous on my part but allow Marle, Lucca and I to look into this. I'll find the kid with the Hero Badge and support him to get the sword and to Magus' castle."

The King sighed, "I know you are good for your word, Sir Crono. I apologize that I must burden you with a task like this. If I could, I would do so myself."

"I know you would, your Majesty," I gave him a bow. "I will do what I can. Though I can't venture how successful we will be. You should get some rest."

"Yes, I feel easier knowing that you will be looking into this. I hope to hear of your success," The King then settled in to his bed after a moment as I gave him a final bow and left the room. As I did so, I found both Lucca and Marle waiting for me as well as a man in a apron and a white hat.

"Ah, Crono. This is the Master of Kitchens. His name is Albert," Marle introduced him. "He has a favor to ask us."

"I've prepared provisions for the troops at Zenan Bridge, but we can't send any of the troops away from here. Would you be able to take them to Commander Fredric. Also, if you could tell him that he best come home alive. He is my brother after all," Albert quickly made his proposition.

"Considering I just told the King I would do what I could to help, I accept," I nodded and after getting the information of where we would pick it up and how to transport them, we moved back towards the throne room on the main floor and stopped. I looked to the empty thrones. "How is the Queen holding up?"

"Marle gave her a good scolding on how she wasn't helping her husband by making him worry about her health on top of his own. Plus the concern of the Mystic army breaking through the defenses," Lucca shook her head. "Thanks to that she got a good meal and her handmaiden saw her to bed."

"That's good at least," I sighed. "Seems some kid has something called the Hero Badge. And managed to sneak to the south in search of a sword that can apparently affect Magus' magic in some way. Either way, we can't do anything until we break through the bridge. And from what the King says, its a minimal force holding the bridge. And that Magus' General named Ozzie is holding it using only necromancy. He's raising the dead to replace his fallen troops. Even using the fallen of our own troops as well."

"Do you think our magic could give us an advantage?" Marle suggested.

"It's possible. They won't be able to predict it," I thought as I took a moment. We couldn't waste time. Either way, we needed to act. "Let's go for it."

* * *

As we arrived at Zenan Bridge, it was obvious that the troops were not in the best of shape. The camp had many moving around. But they were lacking in energy. How long had they been without these provisions? "Commander Fredric!" I called out.

A man in gleaming golden armor and a red cape came towards us as we brought the cart full of supplies to a stop. As he realized this he moved towards us faster, "Provisions from the castle?"

"Yes. Your Brother sends his regards. And wanted me to tell you to come home alive," I said as he looked at me then nodded.

"Albert is the same as always. Still I imagine it was hard to get these ready while trying to tend to the King and making preparations in case the Mystics break through here," He took off his helmet. "You must be Sir Crono. I heard rumor of your red hair and strange appearance from the King. He says you are quite capable warrior as well. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to give you an update of the situation once I ensure the provisions get split up." He turned and another soldier appeared. "See Sir Crono and these Ladies to my tent."

"As you wish sir," the soldier led us off as Commander Fredric began yelling out orders to other troops and began opening the provisions to get them to where they needed to be. It seemed the defense was holding for the moment. And the arrival of the supplies would definitely help morale. We were in the Commander's Tent after a moment and the soldier left us to our own devices while we waited for the Commander to return.

In the middle of the room was a table with a map of the bridge, as well as several tokens that must have represented the enemy positions. From what was here...there really wasn't much in the way of enemy forces.

"If they were just regular Mystic soldiers I doubt they'd be able to hold the bridge for this long. But if they are undead, that could explain it," Marle muttered as she was also looking over the map. No doubt she had been tutored in the ways of military matters, such as troop deployment and strategy. "In which case an arrow barrage would do no good. And our troops stamina would work against us in this case. Especially if traditional weapons are not effecting them."

"Looks like we might be the only ones that could do anything in this situation then," I looked over to Lucca. "I know you are against us involving ourselves too much in the timelines, but I don't think we have a choice. We're against time right now. And if Magus does create Lavos then we need to get there as fast as possible."

"Yes, I realize this," Lucca shook her head. "Then what should we do? Act as a vanguard and lead the charge?"

"My only concern is if the undead have been using long range attack or not," Marle was looking at the map, no doubt trying to determine a good approach.

"They haven't," a new voice spoke and entered the tent.

I turned, "Ah, Commander Fredric. I hope the provisions have done good for the troops."

"It will lift their spirits. However, it is only a matter of time before the Mystic's try to press forward again," the Commander shook his head. "As you probably suspected, the undead are immune to normal attacks. While there are few numbers versus our own, they can't be defeated and when one of us dies, it only grows that number."

So the Guardia Army was at a disadvantage...and yet the Mystic Army wasn't pressing forward? It was obvious they wouldn't need much rest, other than perhaps the leading General. If he needed to be near for the attack...or maybe, he had to be close to the undead soldiers? If he was raising the undead, then maybe there was a limit to its effectiveness. Either way it seemed the only way to really find out was to attack head on. And Fredric had indicated they had not attacked with any ranged attacks. All of this sounded like stall tactics. Calling their bluff and attacking seemed like the best course of action.

"So, we're going, right?" Lucca brought me out of my thoughts.

I nodded, "More than likely there has to be some sort of limitation and why they haven't pressed beyond their position. And we don't have the luxury of time."

"But how do you plan to combat them?" The Commander was understandably hesitant. After all they had no success so far against them.

"We can use magic," Marle was the one to speak next. "Although we'd appreciate if you don't ask how we are able to."

"Magic?" He looked at us for a long moment then shook his head. "Do you think it will give you an edge?"

"Well, no other humans can use magic, right? Seeing us use magic could help us push an advantage," I took a moment to think about it. "The main target is Ozzie, not the undead. Without him, the undead won't have any direction. And possibly, they can't even function."

"If that's the case, then my troops and I will look for a chance to strike Ozzie. If you can possibly find a way to defeat the undead," Commander Fredric looked to us for a moment.

"Commander! The Mystic Army is launching an attack! They'll break through our front line any minute," A soldier came marching into the tent suddenly.

I turned towards the guard and then back at the Commander, "We'll head across, you just back us up."

He nodded, "Thank you, Sir Crono. As well as Lady Lucca and Lady Marle. I know this puts you all at risk, but the King told me before he went back to the castle that I should trust you. And honestly, I'm not sure we have any other choice. Forgive me for being so selfish."

I shook my head, "Forget it. We're doing this for our own reasons too. This is for Guardia and all of our futures."

We rushed out of the tent and towards the Zenan Bridge. We were aiming to change the future. To do just that we can't stop and ponder about everything that we do. If anything we need to stack the fight against Lavos and Magus on our side. To do that, we needed to be able to do anything to accomplish that. There was no telling how any of this would turn out. Maybe we would all die somewhere in the past, or maybe it is our actions that cause Lavos to even appear. Either way, there was no other choice for us anymore. We would do what we could to get the future we wanted. And there was no price I wouldn't pay, to make a future where Lucca and Marle, and our families in the future would not have to fear for that Ruined World that we saw.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This chapter turned out a lot different than I originally thought. Mostly because I thought it wouldn't take long...but then it didn't makes sense. As I wrote it, it made me realize that there was no way that they would just be allowed to do whatever by their parents. I mean it is a world in which monsters are more than real. Yet they are never really all that concerned that their children are gone for such an extended amount of time. I guess that is pretty normal for games of that era, as most of it is focused on the main plot. And many significant parts of the plot are developed within the span of only a few lines. So I wanted to make it so that their parents legitimately supported them.**

 **Plus I like the thought of there being complications when they return to their own time. It isn't like Crono being an escaped convict would change just because he was gone for a while. So they never have any problems moving around in the game, which is not that realistic. But that thread will eventually resolve itself, and I'm sure a few of you readers can guess which quest line will lead to it. But we still got a ways to go to get there.  
**

 **Originally I had considered ending this after the bridge, but that would have held up this chapter a significant amount more, and I think we cover quite a bit already in what is here. Let me know what you think of the interactions between Crono and Marle, as well as Crono and Lucca's parents in this chapter. I'm interested in knowing if you like or dislike how I've gone about this. Anyway, leave me a review and I'll do my best to get my next chapter out sooner than later.**

 **See you all next time, and I appreciate your continued support!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 / The Legendary Sword**

The Zenan Bridge was well built for a wooden bridge. It had certainly stood the test of time but would eventually be turned into a stone bridge in our time, four hundred years from now. The fact that so much fighting had happened on this bridge was a testament to the craftsman of the Guardia kingdom. This was hardly what I should be thinking about as I was charging into battle on the Zenan Bridge. My katana was drawn and I kept my pace steady, not too fast but not slow as I made my way and watching for any incoming projectiles. Each step traveling further over the bridge. It was strange that the Mystic army didn't use any sort of projectile weapons. That just indicated to me that all of this was simply to gain time. Marle, Lucca and I were approaching the front line of the battle quickly. I hadn't realized that the Mystic army had made such a push across the bridge. If the Mystic Army broke through now, there would be nothing stopping them to Guardia castle. No use in thinking too much on it. We would simply have to stop them here.

We had allies ahead, but they were losing ground. Then things happened too quickly. Two approaching... skeletons? Wait, the Mystic army was using skeletons? They had a necromancer? Before I could register what happened the last of our allies were quickly cut down. We were all that was left of the defenses. We could not let them get past us.

"No!" Marle yelled but I came to a stop and grabbed her.

Then up above us was a being... or was it a creature? Whatever he was he seemed to have green skin much like an imp or goblin. He was short, stout and wore a white robe but the immediate thing that stood out was how he effortlessly floated in the air. No doubt he was capable of using magic. He must be one of Magus' Generals. He looked down at us and cocked his head to the side with a sadistic grin.

"More fools come to the flame. You seem different but it won't make any difference," The green being lifted his arms and the allies we had just seen fall in front of us, shed their armor... and bodies and joined the other skeletons. Unlike the others they were bloody and still somewhat attached to their flesh and bones. It was a sight that would make anyone want to run. The smell also made me want to gag but I gritted my teeth. I would not allow the remains of our soldiers to be controlled like this.

"You two just back me up with magic. I'll do what I can to hold them back," I said as I charged forward and towards the skeletons. The one floating above us seemed to just enjoy watching it, as if our actions were nothing but futile gestures. The Mystic army had gotten to the Zenan Bridge and were maintaining stable pressure, but using Necromancy meant that refreshing troops just meant that thy had to ensure our allies died. Then the one we really need to target wasn't the undead, but the Necromancer himself. And there was only one person present that could be. "Lucca!"

"Already on it," came a swift reply.

Leave it to Lucca to figure it out faster than me. Not that I was surprised. All I needed to do was keep the skeletons thoroughly distracted before the floating green being figured it out. Yeah, super simple.

These skeletons were using spears as weapons. Not the most ideal of things to be against with a sword. The reach and numbers put them at an advantage, but I had to wonder how well they could use them. Or if the Mystic General relied on the tenacity of it being undead to overcome the lack of skill. That seemed to be incredibly likely. Being undead made their skills questionable. Perhaps their effectiveness was determined by their controller? If so, did having so many undead also limit the complexity of his orders? Well, there was an easy way to find out I suppose.

The first pair of spears came towards me and I quickly ducked under the incoming attack and spun to break off the spears before jumping up and hitting the skeletons to send them tumbling back and without weapons. However, more skeletons were quick to replace the ones I defeated. I could tell that the intention was to quickly overwhelm me. I take it that was just the basic tactic of using Necromancy skills in general. The benefit of using undead was that what they lacked in strength they made up for in numbers and tenacity. Not to mention they didn't stop when taking injuries. They kept moving until they were incapable of moving. They were dead after all... and the dead need no rest, food or water. They only needed to follow the wills of their master.

I couldn't stop now. As easy as it was for me to knock skeletons down, there were more always more to take their place. One down, two would replace. Fortunately for me I was pretty fast at compensating for the increased numbers. All I had to do was stall for time. Though my stamina wasn't that strong to be able to maintain my reaction time for too extended of a time. But I wouldn't need to.

"Consume and Shiver!" The voices of both Lucca and Marle could be heard over the noise of battle. " _Antipode!_ "

Thanks to my distraction the levitating green skinned being that floated in the air was hit by the combined fire and ice attack from Lucca and Marle and sent spiraling onto the bridge with a crash and even cause part of the wooden boards of the bridge to crack and nearly break. The moment he slammed against the bridge the rest of the skeletons I had been fighting collapsed. Just as we had thought. He was controlling the undead. All we needed to do was focus on him, if his concentration was broken, his control over them was gone.

"Who are you? You three are different than the rest of the Guardia military. And how are you able to use magic? Human's like you should not be able to use such a gift," Ozzie glared at us as he got up from the ground and started to float up into the air. "It is of no consequence if you believe you can change the fate of you and your pitiful kingdom. Magus' preparations are nearly complete."

"And yet here you are with a pointless attack simply to buy time. And why is that? Worried that humans will be able to halt his plans?" I replied as I stood ready to attack.

His glare was full of anger, but he must have realized that I was baiting him. He instead calmed himself before speaking again, "I will admit I underestimated you. But that ends now. Even with your magic, you will have no hope winning against this undead. Come forth, Zombor! Crush them underneath you!" Then a collection of bones from the skeletons swirled around in front of Ozzie then began to form into something else entirely. The bones began to form, into a giant sized skeleton, the bones now seemingly fused together with Ozzie's necromancer magic. He was easily three... maybe four times taller than myself. And being undead didn't help the situation. I was still able to fight but having to fight all the skeletons before on my own was going to catch up with me. I just hoped my stamina would last long enough to finish this fight.

"You might as well give up," Marle said as she stepped to my side her crossbow in hand and ready to fire. "Nothing is going to stop us from achieving our future."

"You're future?" Ozzie scoffed as the gigantic skeleton took full form. "Your lives are meaningless, but if you believe you won't be stopped here, then make your way to Magus' castle. I'll allow you to get a glimpse of true greatness before the end of your pitiful lives. So struggle all you can, pathetic humans."

Ozzie rushed off away from the fight. I guess he intended to use Zombor to make his escape. I tightened my grip and took a more aggressive stance now. That was fine by me. "Quite the bravado for someone that just ran away," I couldn't help but laugh. "You two spread out and give me support. Call out when you want me to back out."

"Right," both Lucca and Marle confirmed. I didn't waste any time and charged towards Zombor. This had certainly turned out to be an interesting way to start our time in the Middle Ages. King entrusting us with a mission to find some kid with the Hero Badge and Frog has disappeared. And then the Mystic Army holding the bridge. I was curious as to why they would even do so. The decision to hold the bridge was an odd one. I guess that could wait until after this situation.

Zombor came at me and much faster than I was expecting. He swung wide but it was swift. I rolled backwards as it somehow barely missed me. As soon as my feet was back to the ground I pushed up to spring towards Zombor and brought my katana around and this time met his other hand with all my strength. Using both my hands the dense skeleton forearm connected with my sword. The force of the blow made me slide back but I was able to dig into place and stop.

"Shiver! The bite of winter! Ice!" Marle let loose a spell against it's arm causing it to weaken just enough for me to push back and make him go off balance.

"Consume! Leave nothing behind! Fire!" Lucca immediately followed up with her own magic but this time against the legs of the skeleton and hitting it in such a way that it caused the skeleton to fall back onto the ground.

I pushed forward as I activated the technique, Wind Slash, causing a blade of energy rush along the ground and through the downed skeleton. I didn't stop there and charged the down skeleton. It was hard to tell if my blade was damaging it, as it was a skeleton. There was not time to second guess my actions and continued to attack Zombor. I quickly was able to get two solid strikes in before I jumped back as the monster recovered. But not all of him got up. No his lower body was gone. Somehow his upper body was floating in the air!

"If it's not one thing it's something else," I muttered as I solidified my stance and tightened the grip on my sword. I guess I could hit it with magic as well. Marle and Lucca moved forward with their weapons in hand and began firing at the floating skeleton body. It screeched high into the air as it turned to attack.

There wasn't time for me to switch to magic. Despite Marle and Lucca giving a barrage to try and cover me, the floating upper half of Zombor turned it's attention to me and then slowly opened its mouth. Like something out of a nightmare a beam of energy, or light of whatever it was came at me. I had no time to react so I instead met it head on with my katana. I swung and met the attack and somehow I managed to stop the attack in its tracks. No, I hadn't. This power was magic and it wasn't mine. It was Lucca's... she protected me somehow?

"Crono!" Lucca called out to me. "Now's the time!"

"I have an idea, we can combine our attacks, Crono!" Marle followed up. She had already started chanting, "Encase his blade with the bite of winter!"

Instinctively I jumped towards Zombor and extended my katana above my head. The moment I did I felt a power coarse through it's blade. " _Ice Sword!_ " I yelled out in unison with Marle as I brought my blade down and buried it into the head of Zombor. The moment I did the skeleton was suddenly caged in ice and fell to the ground. The ice shattered, turning the remaining part of the skeleton to be splintered and fall apart. The skeleton stopped moving.

A quick survey of the area showed that Ozzie was long gone by now. Moving away from the remains as the magical ice disappeared, I sheathed my sword. "Looks like he ran off," I commented as I walked over to the girls. "The two of you alright?"

"All things considered, it went rather well," Lucca pushed up her glasses as she was putting her own weapon away.

"Yeah we got him- Crono, look out!" Marle's eyes went big as I looked back the remains of Zombor's skeleton, it was glowing.

Suddenly, that same glow appeared on the ground around me, trapping me. I tried to jump away but the light followed me. It came from the ground and felt like something had pierced my body. It gave me a sensation that hurt... it hurt a hell of a lot. I collapsed but the pain was so intense that I couldn't make a sound. And then suddenly it was gone, but now I felt drained. My eyes were widened still shocked by the attack.

"Crono!" Lucca and Marle were both by my side.

"O gentle waters, remove these wounds! _Cure!_ " Marle cried out and a wave of something comforting washed over me and quickly nulled the pain, but I still felt drained, as if my spirit had been taken from my body. "Why isn't it working?"

"Hold on," Lucca was reaching into her bag and pulled out a small bottle. She pulled off the top and put it into my hands. "Crono, drink this."

I sat up and did my best to drink it's contents. It was kind of sweet tasting, and yet didn't have a distinct taste. But the moment it hit my lips I felt as if my energy was coming back and I started to breathe easily again. I took a few deep breaths. "What was that Lucca?"

"It's called an Ether. Spekkio gave me some after we had woken up at the End of Time. He told me it would come in handy. It seems it is able to refill our magical energy. So I suppose that attack just now forcefully drained yours." Lucca quickly thought of what it could have been.

"Glad he did," I sat up and Marle threw her arms around me.

"Don't scare me like that," she said in a low whisper.

"Sir Crono! Lady Lucca! Lady Marle!" It was Commander Fredric coming with soldiers behind him. "Are you alright? Should I call for the medic?"

I pushed Marle away so I could address the Commander, "No, I'm fine. I just lowered my guard. I didn't think that creature would have some sort of last attack upon his defeat." I had only heard stories from my Father that some of the more powerful monsters in the world were capable of such a last attack. If they were going to die they would take the one that defeated them with me. Then again... would draining my magical energy be...

 _Remember, your heart is the source of your magic._

Spekkio's words came into my mind. That's right... he said our hearts was our magic. More than that it was like a muscle, and it would get stronger with more use. Which meant... I probably needed to rest to properly recover.

"I'm glad to see you are unhurt, Sir Crono. It seems thanks to you and your companions victory is ours," The Commander stepped forward and offered me his hand. I shook it.

"A win, but it isn't over until we get to Magus," I turned from him and towards Marle. She came to my side and put her arm around me.

"You look like you could sleep for a few days," Marle giggled.

"I certainly feel like it," I let out a long sigh.

"Do we head back to Truce to rest?" Lucca came up to my other side.

"If I may, Sir Crono. My troops are heading to the town of Dorino, which isn't far from here. They could escort you to the Inn there for you to rest. We heard reports that the Mystic army had ignored the village but we wanted to reinforce the their defenses anyway," The Commander lifted off his helmet. "Thank you, Sir Crono. For all you and your friends have done."

I chuckled, "I think you thanked me before but I understand. I'm sure you and you're men have work to do securing the bridge. At the very least I don't think the Mystic army will try for the bridge any time soon." I turned to see that the Commander had dark hair much like his brother back at the castle. Though he certainly was more stout. Guess it comes when one becomes the soldier and the other a cook. Still, both brothers worked for the Guardia Kingdom. I wonder how many families had remained loyal to the Guardia line over the centuries.

"Commander, can you inform the King that we will return to the Castle once we've learned more about Magus. Though first our goal is to catch up with The Hero," Lucca must have seen how exhausted I was and decided to take the reigns of the conversation.

"Of course, I plan to send a messenger to inform the King of our success of reclaiming the bridge. I'll pass along that you are heading to find The Hero," The Commander nodded.

With Lucca and Marle urging our escort to move out for my benefit we made our way to the small town of Dorino.

* * *

Laying down on the bed at Dorino Inn felt more amazing than it probably should have. Guess it just goes to show you just how draining that last ditch attack of Zombor had been. Though the usefulness of such an attack seemed somewhat perplexing. Normal humans didn't have the ability to use magic. So why would a monster have that kind of attack to begin with?

I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Was there a reason to know? Actually, maybe I could ask?

I sat up and reached into my pocket and pulled out Marle's Pendant. We didn't really determined how this would work, but I tried anyway. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"Greetings, Crono. I do hope you and the others are doing well," the voice of Robo came through.

"We are. We're just about to rest for the night. Thought I would check in and let you know we're doing good so far," I was being a bit too vague. "Actually, is Spekkio around?"

"Do you require the God of War?" the laugh of Spekkio himself came from the pendant. He was a God of War so if I had to say he was likely aware of our fight. "You want to know why such a creature would have a power like that."

"Yeah, if it is was a creature created by Ozzie, then wouldn't it's powers be influenced by him? A move like that seems pointless against humans when the majority don't know magic," I elaborated on my concerns.

"In some forgotten ages that type of attack was known as Mana Buster. A way to strip your opponent of their ability to cast magic. Seeing as you have never experienced being completely drained of your mana, it was quite a shock to you. Though it pulls from a source from within you that is not exactly a magical energy of sorts. As I told you, your heart is the source of your strength. The term Mana simply comes from an ancient time where magic was prevalent and it was the only known thing that used that internal strength. But your own family line uses techniques, correct?" Spekkio's answer was somewhat surprising.

"So my techniques and magic both pull from the same source?" I blinked, unsure of what to think of his answer.

"Is it that surprising?" Spekkio laughed seemingly amused by my reaction. "Although, I do not believe your line of thought is wrong. You managed to overwhelm the General Ozzie. No doubt the enemy Zombor was not intended for you to fight. And as it seems, I would not believe that Zombor was meant to be anything other than a tool. His defeat was likely a part of his strategy. Though you were not the intended opponent."

"I see," I scratched my head for a moment. So Ozzie had someone else in mind when creating Zombor? Someone he intended to defeat Zombor and then be subject to the Mana Buster attack? Curious. "Thanks, Spekkio."

"You are all still new to magic. So I am sure you will all have questions. I also sense that both Marle and Lucca have awakened to new magic as well. Cure and Protect. It seems their desires to protect you have led them to it. You have strong companions my friend," Spekkio seemed proud. That was how he sounded to me.

"Yeah, I know," I thought back and remembering when Lucca's protect magic had stopped what would likely been a more devastating blow on me. And then Marle's Cure had definitely been a step above her Aura ability in terms of healing power. After a moment I realized that Spekkio seemed like he was gone. "Still there Robo?"

"Indeed, is there anything you require of me?" Robo's voice still had the obvious mechanical aspect to it, but the communication through the pendant gave it a more ethereal quality. It was definitely odd.

I took the chance to bring Robo up to speed with the events that had occurred so far. Then telling him that tomorrow we would be starting our search for the boy that had been called The Hero. All because he had something called the Hero Badge. While I was having this discussion was when Marle and Lucca came in.

"I'm unsure of how the possession of one item would be enough to deem an individual, especially a young boy as a Hero," Robo seemed to call the whole idea into question.

"Robo?" Lucca blinked and then crossed over to me. "You're using the pendant to talk to him?"

I nodded to confirm her question before responding to Robo, "It is a desperate time for the Kingdom of Guardia. An old legend coming to surface can do wonders for morale for the troops."

"I'm not sure I quite understand," Robo seemed to have difficulty with the concept.

"Sometimes, just the idea that someone is there to protect you can do wonders. Another way to think of it is... oh I know. You remember the Enertron's of your time?" Lucca spoke up.

"Of course, Lucca," Robo replied.

"That technology put a lot of people at ease didn't it? Even if they had a famine and their food stores began to deplete, they never panicked because of the Enertron's presence. Although the possibility of it breaking down is always there, it became something they could put their faith in and rely upon," Lucca was attempting to give an equivalent to the situation.

"I see, it provides peace of mind to humans," Robo seemed to finally understand it.

"How are you doing, Robo? I hope you aren't lonely over there," Marle spoke up as she sat next to me.

"Negative. The older gentlemen has conversed with me from time to time. And even the one known as Spekkio has come out to speak with me," Robo supplied. Spekkio did seem like the type to be easily bored.

"Anyway, we should be resting for the night. We'll contact you again in the future," I said and lowered the pendant and then sighed as I felt the wave of exhaustion hit me again.

"Lay down, Crono. You need to rest," Marle said and pulled me onto the bed so I was laying down. I wasn't about to fight her, I knew she was right.

"Looks like there really was no Mystic army presence near Dorino. Either way the villagers weren't exactly about to leave their homes and test if the Mystics were truly ignoring them," Lucca said as she moved over to the other bed and sat down. Marle was instead ensuring I was laying down properly and then took the moment to pull off my shoes which I had forgotten I had left on. I really was exhausted.

"Can't blame them," I mutter as I put my left hand over my eyes. I could feel myself already on the verge of falling asleep. A small village like this made it difficult to be bold against enemies... especially an army. And when the army had been pulled back initially to find the queen it had left the village unprotected. But something didn't add up... Why did the Mystic Army ignore the village? Dorino was clearly close to the bridge. Even if it didn't have any soldiers... how would the Mystic Army know that?

The easy answer, the enemy had been informed of the current happenings in the Kingdom of Guardia. They were at war so maybe a spy? Yakra? No not him. His followers though. It could have easily been an underling that used Yakra's own ambitions as a way to feed information back to the Mystics. That made the most sense. And if our history was right then Magus was busy in his Castle preparing to summon Lavos. There was still too much we didn't know. Lavos doesn't actually appear until the year 1999 AD. But we're currently in 600 AD. So is Magus stopped? Or does the summon truly take that long to come to fruition? Either way, from the future we saw the Mystics no longer even existed. Only the remnants of humanity that seemed to barely be living. Well, I don't know that to be completely true, it isn't like we saw all of the ruined world.

I closed my eyes as I heard Marle and Lucca moving around the room. Just how much more crazy were things going to get? Time travel, magic, spies, misinformation, but also legends, hero's and undead monsters. The more and more we learn, the less I feel I have a grasp on the situation. I felt myself falling inevitably into sleep with the comforting sound of Marle and Lucca's voices as they continued to talk in the background.

* * *

"The item I seek is the mythical Rainbow Shell," I heard an older gentlemen speak as Lucca and Marle entered behind me. We were entering the Elder's House in order to inquire if The Hero had come through the town and spoke with them. But it seems the Elder was meeting with someone already. "Here's some money to cover your expenses. You'll have the rest when you've retrieved it. I am counting on you, Toma."

The young man gave a light chuckle but took the bag of money from the older man, "Worry not. They do not call me a legendary explorer without reason. I will not disappoint." Toma said this with a good amount of gravitas that seemed a bit more cocky than what most people would probably do. I mean, who calls themselves a legendary explorer anyway?

The village elder must have thought the same thing as he seemed to give a cautious look to Toma before a light sigh, "I'll be awaiting good news."

"I can't say how long it will take but one way or another I will succeed," Toma moved towards us. He had a bandanna in his hair and seemed to be well worn. He had a short sword at his side and definitely gave the feeling of being well versed with it. He also had a bag that no doubt had an assortment of supplies. He stopped in front of me. "That is some pretty unique hair."

"Yeah, I've heard that a lot," I comment. "Are you really a legendary explorer?"

"You've never heard about the exploits of Toma?" he gave a fake mocking look but then just starting laughing. "Honestly it isn't much of a title when there aren't many people willing to explore. Go out and explore a few dark places and make a discovery and well, people notice. Ask me again about it sometime. I'm sure we will meet again."

I couldn't help but laugh as he left out the door. He was brave, I could give him that.

"It's somewhat surprising in a time like this and the threat of the Mystics attacking that anyone could venture out into unknown regions. I imagine what he said is probably true. While everyone stays where they know is safe, he takes a chance and it paid off for him. I am curious as to what this Rainbow Shell is that the Elder was speaking about. Though it isn't relevant to us," Lucca spoke her thoughts to our encounter with Toma.

"He seems pretty lively at least. He was smiling while most of the residents of the village here have been generally depressing," Marle added.

That had certainly been true. The Elder's house seemed to have a number of people here but we came for information. We hoped the Elder could provide it.

The old man acknowledged us with a smile, "You seem to be looking well, Sir Crono. I heard from the soldiers about what you did. You have our thanks. Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Gregory, and I'm the Elder for the village of Dorino."

I had expected this actually. I figured the soldiers would have spoken with the village Elder and likely scouted the surrounding area to ensure there was no Mystic presence. Although it was a good idea to stay on guard in this time period because there was no telling if another Mystic would have an ability like Yakra and be able to disguise themselves in plain view. I stepped forward and shook his hand, "Thank you. I hope you aren't too busy."

"We certainly do have a lot to do around the village since the threat of the Mystics is gone. At least for the moment," he chuckled a bit.

"And that guy that left? Something about a rainbow shell?" I couldn't help but ask.

"It's been a legend in Guardia for generations. But supposedly the Rainbow Shell was something that was on it's way to our Kingdom but never made it. If it is truly a thing of legends then I was hoping it could be used by the King to better equip our troops and finally finish off this war," the Elder had no qualms displaying his displeasure with the ongoing conflict.

So even if it's a long shot... at the very least he can feel more at ease that he is helping in someway to find a solution. When you lead a village there isn't much action you can really take. His priority was still his village after all. "We could certainly use everything we can get. Which is part of why we're here. I wanted to ask if the boy with the Hero Badge came through the village. The King told me he had met him, and that in one of the pushes before we defeated Ozzie that the boy had managed to cross the bridge. I was hoping you could tell us where he was."

"That young lad, huh?" The Elder paused for a moment. "He was on his way to Denadoro Mountains. He intends to find the Masamune. The only sword capable of defeating Magus."

I blinked. A sword? Capable of defeating Magus? Huh? "Wait, what do you mean?" I asked.

"You've never heard of the Holy Sword Masamune? It's said that some of the strongest warriors in the Kingdom of Guardia have always used that sword in times of trouble. Wielding its Holy powers to strike down the enemies of the Kingdom," the Elder tilted his head as if I should have heard this story before.

I looked to Marle and Lucca.

"It's true. The Masamune has been a story and constant presence in the history of our Kingdom," Marle supplied. "It's said that the power of the blade is stronger than any machine, magic or any other weapon. A blade that can be used to dispel any darkness."

Normally I would have dismissed such a notion, but the truth of it was magic did exist. Hell, I could use magic and everything we've seen only went to show how little of the world I really knew. I couldn't just dismiss the possibility of such a sword existing. "Denadoro Mountains is to the east of here, right? How long was the boy been there?"

"He left for the mountain this morning," Elder Gregory answered.

"Then we should be able to catch up," I then bowed to the Elder. "Thank you."

"Sir Crono, you said you had talked with the King?" the Elder asked.

I stood up and nodded, "That's right. The King has charged me with ensuring that Magus is dealt with. One way or another."

"Then I shall pray for your success," The Elder gave a light smile as I turned to leave.

"We should hurry. If that boy is as young as everyone has said he is then there is no telling what kind of danger he might be in," Lucca said as all three of us quickly left the Elders house and made a quickly lined towards the east, towards the mountains in the distance.

"I double checked our supplies and equipment last night so we don't need to wait. How do you feel, Crono?" Marle asked me. Likely about my recovery from that attack from Zombor.

"One hundred percent, if not more," I felt my resolve strengthen as I picked up the pace. I don't know why but I suddenly felt nervous. No, nervous wasn't the right word. I picked up my pace once more. Marle and Lucca didn't say anything but kept my pace as the three of us raced towards the Denadoro Mountains. The uneasy feeling didn't go away.

* * *

As we rushed into the valley entrance of the Denadoro Mountains we were greeted by the screams of a young boy. The three of us sprinted forward and saw a young boy, being chased by two monsters with large wooden hammers. They weren't very tall, but were certainly not lean. They had grayish-green skin and seemed to have yellow colored fur on its head that made it look like a mohawk of sorts. Were they fiends?

I pulled my katana free from it's sheath and jumped forward with a burst of energy just as the grayish-green creatures aim to swing at the boy with their hammers. Moving past the boy I clashed against one of the hammers while avoiding the other. Thankfully my charge in had put the boy out of their range. Still, whatever the fiends were, they were strong. I pushed back but I jumped back to give myself space.

They both screeched at me, "Die, human!"

With no hesitation I quickly executed one of my techniques called Cyclone. With it I spun with my sword in hand giving them no way to navigate around me.

"Crono, back up," Lucca called out. I did so as Lucca threw an object at the feet of the fiends. It erupted and covered the two in fire, and caused the wooden hammers in their hands to be covered in flames. The fiends quickly discarded the hammers in response.

I readied another attack and used Wind Slash. The attack was more than enough and the two fiends fell to the ground with one last cry of pain. But they both stopped moving.

"O gentle waters, remove these wounds! _Cure!_ " Marle casted a spell on the young boy who was standing in front of her.

His eyes widened as he looked over his body, "I'm better? Was that magic?"

"It was," I answered. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, "Th-thank you for saving me." This young boy had a cape that was impressive in a way that he wasn't tripping over, a shield that was way too big to be practical for someone so young and then a sword that basically dragged on the ground and hung on his side. I doubt he has even used it. He was too young. Did everyone just allow him to go because he carried the Hero Badge? I saw it hanging on his tunic. The badge had an image of a warrior showing the helmet as well with an inscription.

"It really is the Hero Badge," Marle commented as she moved next to me but said it in a whisper.

"My name is Crono. I'm here at the behest of the King to help you get the Masamune," I was curious as to why such a tradition about the Hero existed. And for some reason I feel that there was something this kid wasn't saying.

"I'm Tata. It's nice to meet you," he bowed to us. He has manners, which is more than I actually expected.

What should we do? I had serious doubts that he should be some hero of legend. But maybe I was wrong. Either way it seemed going up the mountain and looking for the Masamune was our next step. "Allow us to escort you up the mountain to find the Masamune," I offered him.

"But there could be more Ogans," Tata's eyes widened.

"Don't worry. We'll protect you," Lucca backed me up.

He shook his head, "No. You see... I'm no hero. Truth be told, I plucked this badge from the floor of the tavern. Some besotted froggish fellow dropped it as he stumbled out. I was selfish and thought I would try and sell it. But then everyone started calling me the Hero when they saw it. I had no idea it was something so significant."

Lucca and I shared a look for a moment as thoughts of Frog obviously came to mind. If he had the badge originally then it made some sense. Frog definitely had significant swords skills. Much better than my own. However, Frog still blamed the Queen's disappearance and his inability to keep her safe on himself. It seemed along the way he had visited a tavern and dropped the hero badge, something he likely had in his possession all this time. And likely felt he no longer deserved it.

Tata took the badge off his tunic and extended it out towards me. "Please, take it. I let all the talk of being a Hero go to my head but I can't. I don't think I could ever fight creatures like that. I don't have the talent or skill to hold a sword like the Masamune." His head hung, ashamed of the facade he had kept up while everyone had called him a hero.

I squatted down and took the Hero Badge from his hand, "Still, it takes a massive amount of bravery to even try and come this far. You also gave people hope when they didn't have any. So, Tata, you should be proud."

Marle moved next to me and affectionately patted the boys head, "You've done a great job, Tata."

The boy who looked like he had been holding back a lot of emotion, began to cry. Marle got to her knees and pulled the young boy into her arms as the young Tata let out an outpouring of emotion.

I stood back up and looked at the Hero badge.

"So this belongs to Frog then?" Lucca asked as she looked at the badge from my side.

"More than likely. It seems like he is still affected by his failure to keep the Queen safe. But he really doesn't have time now to feel sorry for himself," I sigh and then look towards the mountain path.

"What are you thinking? We retrieve the sword and then find Frog? It might be a good motivator for him," Lucca pointed out.

I nodded, "Yeah, that's what I was thinking." I looked back to Marle who was holding the young boy Tata in her arms. Even if this was a different era, I don't think Marle viewed people any differently than she would in our time. Maybe it was because she was royalty that she felt some sort of obligation or desire to protect people. She had such a big heart, I could only imagine it was Marle's Mother, Aliza, that had taught her such compassion. Or perhaps that was just the nature of the girl I was dating.

"What do you want to do, Tata? The three of us are going to keep going and retrieve the Masamune. Will you head home?" Marle asked the boy as he seemed to have recovered.

"Wouldn't I get in the way if I came with you?" Tata asked and looked to me.

"I think what is important is what you want. Don't you want to see the sword that everyone wanted you to get?" I asked him.

He nodded, "At the very least I want to see this part to the end."

"Then it's decided. Just be careful, and be on the lookout. There is likely a lot of creatures to be seen on this mountain pass," I warned him.

"Thank you, Crono," the boy bowed.

I turned towards the path that led further up the mountain, "Shall we then?"

"You sure about this Crono?" Lucca asked in a low voice from my side.

I simply smiled, "The path forward is not always the safest one. I think if anyone knows that, it's us."

"He'll be fine with us," Marle added her support to my decision.

"What do you think we'll find?" Lucca asked as I started walking.

"Who knows?" I shrugged. "A legendary sword, I hope."

I chuckled as I started down the path, with Marle, Lucca and Tata in tow.

* * *

The journey up the mountain had been filled with encounters with enemies. More of the same Ogan's we had seen threatening Tata before. And then there were plenty of flying beast and even thieves along the way. One particular fight had brought a lot of enemies and all while next to a steep edge that would have likely ended in the loss of life if any of us fell. Tata had been brave throughout. And while he never attempted to fight (thankfully), he had been able to keep up with us. Though that was likely more out of fear of being left behind.

Eventually it led us to a cave and at the end of the path was a single ray of light that shone onto a single spot. When we got closer we found... not a whole sword... but a broken blade. Shattered free from it's hilt, but the hilt itself was nowhere to be found.

I squatted down and picked up the broken blade and inspected it. "This is no ordinary blade," I comment as I look to its edge. It was still sharp, despite it's hilt being nowhere nearby.

"Have you come to take it? The Masamune, I mean," a voice of a child came from behind us.

So it was part of the Masamune? A magical holy sword... such a thing could explain the sharpness of the blade still being maintained. But what could cause a blade like this to break?

"Yes, we came to retrieve the Masamune," I answered as I looked towards the kid.

"I thought so. Wait just a second, all right?" the kid then looked past me. "Oh, Big Brother... Where are you, Masa?"

Then another kid, nearly identical to the other walked past us, "What is it, Mune?" Then he eyed us. "Oh? More coming to try and claim the sword? Did you think you'd make a name for yourself as a Hero by grabbing the Masamune?"

"No, we're here so we can give it to Frog," Lucca told them and was on the defensive. I knew why. Something about this pair of kids felt off. They were likely here guarding the sword.

"Frog?" the kids tilted their heads. "Oh, that guy? Yeah if anyone could wield the sword it would be him. Still we can't just let you take part of the holy sword that easily."

"Okay, Mune. Let's give them the usual test. They might be able to keep us entertained for a while," The one named Masa grinned. The two then changed. They were no longer kids. Much larger in size the two had light bronze like skin, along with pointed ears that pointed upward and a beak like nose. Both Masa and Mune wore a simple white tunic with the only thing distinguishing them was that Masa had a green collar and Mune a violet one.

"Tata, stay back," I say as I pull my katana from it's sheath. It was no mistake that these two were named Masa and Mune. Perhaps the sword itself was sentient? Maybe originating from a time when magic among humans was common. Testing us... to see if we were worthy to take the blade... a show of strength. No doubt the one that wielded the Masamune needed to be able to have the prowess capable of using the sword. In that case, holding back would be an insult to this pair. "Marle!"

She must have anticipated what I wanted, "Encase his blade with the bite of Winter!"

I jumped into the air at Masa as Marle's magic met my katana, "Ice Sword!" We both yelled as I brought my attack down on Masa. With a single hand he met my blade. I did not pierce him. And the Ice erupted out from my sword and around Masa. But in that same instant the Ice had formed, it shattered and I was sent flying back. I flipped backwards through the air and came sliding to a stop.

"Consume! Leave nothing behind! Fire!" Lucca hit Masa with her own magic which caught him off guard just enough to make him be pushed back.

Masa smiled, "How long has it been Mune? Since we've seen humans with the power of magic?"

"Hundreds of years, if not longer," Mune said standing next to his brother. What an odd pair of siblings. "If they have magic, they must be strong."

"Even Cyrus did not have the power of magic. Impressive," Masa actually did seem impressed with us. "In that case, let's give them the real test."

"All right, this is it!" Mune nodded.

Masa then turned to his brother and took a stance, "With Masa's bravery-"

"And Mune's brains-" Mune mirrored Masa's stance across from him.

The two then charged towards each other and bathed in a intense light causing us to avert our eyes as we heard the combines voices of Masa & Mune, "We're unstoppable!" The light faded and what was left was a singular, massive and bulky creature. It had two massive horns that extended from his head and had muscles to spare. They flexed in a menacing way, "We're going to start off things big!"

"Okay, not what I expected to happen," I mutter and take a step back.

"He's casting something!" Marle yelled out a warning.

"Come forth turbulent winds! Hurricane!" The thundering voice of Masa & Mune combined echoed in my ear as his magic filled the area. A violent swirling wind manifested around us. I quickly stabbed my katana into the ground and then reached and grabbed Marle by the waist with my off hand and pulled her to me. Lucca moved close and put her arms around my waist. I didn't even have time to check to see if Tata was okay.

As the spell caused the winds to grow more chaotic and violent I struggled just to keep in place. However, there was an intense pain that came with it as I felt the wind beating against me. It was like being hit with beanbags at high speeds. I gritted my teeth. Marle and Lucca were subject to this as well and heard both of audibly groan in pain. Fortunately the spell finally relented. The girls quickly moved away from me. But that spell had definitely taken its toll. And the combined Masa & Mune was grinning.

A thought came to me, "Marle, use Aura on my sword!"

She looked to me than nodded. Extending her hands towards me I could feel her healing power fill the sword. I then spun in place, "Aura Whirl!" I directed the energy of Aura to all three of us, which did exactly as I hoped. Instead of Marle having to heal each of us individually I was able to accomplish this for the group. Granted it was likely a diluted effect but the pain from the hurricane spell was gone. Masa & Mune seemed impressed.

"We aren't finished yet!" Lucca pulled out her gun and open fired, as Marle brought her crossbow to do the same.

"Resound! Cry from the Heavens! Lightning!" I casted my own magic as we continued to bombard Masa & Mune. It was hard to tell if we were doing anything at all. The whole time the combined creature just smiled.

The fight continued, with us landing every hit we could, switching between magic and physical attacks, and while sustaining Masa & Mune's large scale attacks.

"Encase his sword in tempered flame!" Lucca called out as I jumped in the air. Similar to how Marle had done I felt her magic go through the sword and brought it down onto Masa & Mune. They stopped the blade mere inches from their face but then the magic in my sword released. "Fire Sword!" I yelled as the fire engulfed Masa & Mune causing him to jump back and me to land back on the ground. For a moment a bright light appeared and then Masa and Mune apeared back in their pre-merged forms.

"They beat us, Masa," Mune seemed concerned.

Masa, however, was beaming, "That was fun! You guys are good."

"But Masa, do you think they can fix us?" Mune pressed.

"What is your intentions?" Masa turned to me.

"We don't know. Take you to Frog for now, and then figure it out from there," I answered honestly.

"Masa-"

"It'll be all right, Mune," Masa smiled. "We leave our care and future in your hands."

The two then moved to the blade of the Masamune and in a bright light seem to disappear into it. I approached it and picked it up. Lucca came to my side and put a cloth over it so I could wrap up the blade and place it in my bag.

"That was rough," Marle sighed. "They're in the sword now?"

I nodded, "Seems that way. I guess all we can do is go to Frog."

"Umm... then you should head to Porre. If you ask the Tavern owner, I'm sure he would have a good idea how to find that Frog person. And I want to say thank you. For letting me come this far. But it's clear that I'm no where near ready to become a hero. I had no hope of fighting any of the monsters we saw," Tata looked like he was unharmed. He must have hid behind a rock... or Masa and Mune had been aware of the boy's presence and ensured he would not be harmed. Even if we beat Masa and Mune... it had clearly been a test and no where near the real strength of those two.

"The world is not a safe place. If you want to be a hero, then you know just how far you have to go. At the very least if you want to be strong enough to protect the ones you love, you know what you need to do," I say, trying to be encouraging but unsure of how my message came across. "You understand now, right?"

Tata nodded, "Just having the badge doesn't mean you're a hero. It requires training and hard work. I know that but... I just got carried away. But I can at least lead you all to the tavern in Porre. Then... I'll go home. I have to apologize to everyone."

I turned to Marle who was smiling at how Tata was acting now. "Something you want to say?" I asked her.

"When I was younger, your Father, Sir Lazarus, did all he could to tell me if I wanted anything I would have to work hard for it. I was just a little girl at the time. I didn't know what I wanted to the future. But it was your Father that convinced me that no matter what it was, I would need strength in order to obtain it. That was when I started to train. Both fencing and with crossbows and ranged weapons," Marle giggled a bit recalling the memory.

"That sounds like my Father alright," I scratched the back of my head. "Though my Mom gave him crap for his training being too easy."

"From what I've learned about your Mom, that sounds about right. Sir Lazarus always said he had a long way to go to catch up to his wife. I thought he was just joking," Marle was smiling, likely remembering discussions with my Father. It was odd to think about the fact that she had more than likely spent as much time or even more time with my Father than I had. "So next we find Frog, right?"

"Well, right now we have to take it a step at a time. We don't know how to get to Magus' lair and what we could be against. Frog has worked with us before, so if anyone would be able or willing to help us, it would be him. But I am concerned as to why he disappeared," I shook my head.

Either way, we certainly had our work cut out for us.

* * *

Finding Frog had not been too difficult. He lived in a place called the Cursed Woods. A name that seemed to get it's name from Frog himself. I'm not sure how that was connected to him, but his place had been easy to find. Simply hidden behind a bush and down a later to find a home dug out from the ground. It was actually impressive to be able to make something like this, not to mention tedious and a lot of work.

Now standing in front of us was Frog. However, it quickly became apparent that he had no intention of doing anything.

"Do you have any idea what has been going on?" Marle was getting frustrated. "While you've been here, feeling sorry for yourself, the King was injured protecting his people from an attacking Mystic Arm at the bridge of Zenan! We managed to break through and push them back, but what do you think will happen if the Mystic's push again?"

"Marle, it isn't like it is his responsibility," Lucca tried to calm her down.

"But if he had been there then his Highness wouldn't have been in danger, right? And now the Queen has been worried sick not just for the King but for this idiot too!" Marle glared at Frog. And Frog looked to the ground, ashamed of it.

"I know you have your reasons, Frog. We don't know much about you. However, we do need to get to Magus' castle. We have to stop him, no matter what the cost. Here, we got this from the boy named Tata. He said you dropped this when you were in Porre. He wanted us to return it to you," I held out the Hero Badge, hoping that it may inspire him in some way. But, I didn't keep my hopes up.

He looked at the badge, "I am such a fool. But even with such a thing, there is not a thing I can do against Magus." He turned away. "To fight him would require the legendary Masamune, which is.. no, it matters little. Even had I the blade, I've no right to wield it."

"Frog, what happened?" I asked, knowing that this was a much deeper issue than I had realized.

Frog then moved away from us and towards the exit. "I'm sorry, Sir Crono, Lady Marle and Lady Lucca. There is naught a thing I am capable of doing." Then he leaped up the ladder and out of his home. Leaving us alone.

I scratched the back of my head and sighed, "That could have gone better."

"What a selfish frog," Marle muttered.

"He's doubting himself. He doesn't believe he can help anyone. Not even himself," Lucca commented softly.

"Why do you think he is a Frog?" I asked as I started to look around the home.

"Why?" Marle echoed the question. "Does that have something to do with this?"

"I dunno," I shrugged as I moved over to a strange case on the floor. I opened it and my eyes widened as I reached in to retrieve its contents. "My guess, Frog would know exactly why the Masamune is broken." I turned and showed them what it was.

"A broken sword hilt?" Lucca walked towards me and inspected it. "This is part of the Masamune!"

"Frog had the hilt?" Marle was putting the pieces together now that I had just a moment ago. "The one who has the Hero Badge was always the one who held the Masamune in our history."

"Can I see that, Crono?" Lucca asked, and I complied. She started to look over the hilt.

"Frog was likely meant to have the Masamune... or he was close to the person that used it before him," I suggested to Marle. "And if it's the latter then it likely is a rough subject for him."

"He is someone the Queen is fond of, so there is likely some sort of connection there. He isn't a Knight though, so why does he feel responsibility to the throne?" Marle was trying to think about the connection as well.

"Guys! There is an inscription on the edge here. It's engraved with archaic letters. I think I can make it out. Umm... M...E...L...C...H...I...O...R... Wait, Melchior? That can't be right." Lucca shook her head.

"That older gentlemen that lives outside of Medina Village?" Marle added her own questioning tone.

"How can the name of a sword smith from our time be on a sword from the past?" I ask the question that we were all thinking.

"Well, we know Frog has no intention of joining us. Our only option is to find out what we can. I think it's obvious. We should go speak to Melchior," Lucca then handed the sword hilt to me.

"Well, sorry Frog but we'll be taking this. But we'll return it to you eventually," I say as I put the broken hilt into my bag next to the broken blade. "Looks like we have a walk to get back to the Gate."

"Who would have thought we'd find two pieces of Guardia's history though. The Hero Badge and the legendary Holy sword, Masamune!" Marle grinned, a bit more energetic than before. She was smiling again.

"Yeah, a legendary sword. And if it really is needed to face Magus, then I guess Melchior is our best bet," I sighed and then smiled at Marle and Lucca. "I guess saving the world isn't as easy as just beating up the bad guy."

Marle giggled, "It might be, but you have to have the right tools for the job."

Maybe so... but if we had to get the Masamune repaired, what would that cost us? And even if we do restore it... would Frog even listen to us? No, there was no time for doubts. The only thing we could do, is keep moving forward.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I had zero intention for it to be so long between updates. By real life has a tendency of getting in the way. With a combination of work, a crap ton of overtime as well as a bunch of not needed drama in my life... it prevented me from spending the time I needed to properly write a chapter. Likely this chapter needs a bit more revision and editing, but I also unsure when that would happen so I figured I would release it for people that have been waiting so patiently (or impatiently). I'll probably come back and more thoroughly edit it later. Either way, I want to say I'm sorry, I didn't intend for it to take so long to get here.**

 **Apologies aside, this chapter is more transition for the big events to come. We defeated Zombor but we also learn that maybe Crono and crew wasn't meant to be the one to fight him. If you understand Ozzie's character you might be able to put together who the intended one is. Anyway, we learn about the Masamune and Crono is starting to realize that the world isn't as simple as he thought. And with the presence of magic he has to re-think about what he knows to be real.**

 **I think it's easy to forget when you play the game, but for the characters it had to sound absurd that a sword could be used to defeat an individual person. Or that you would need a particular sword for such a task. I mean there is a reason as to why the sword affects Magus but at this point in the story it seems weird that such a thing existed. Those that have played the game can likely put their own conclusion and likely be right as to why, but obviously the characters wouldn't know. And a lot of times I have to remind myself that I'm writing it through Crono's perspective. But I think I've gotten better at it recently.**

 **Next Chapter we will be meeting Ayla, and I am super pumped about it. I'm pretty sure I touched on it before, but there will be more deviations from the game the further into the story we go. The core problems will still be the same, but Crono and the crew might solve them a bit differently as I go through it. I hope you all look forward to it! I haven't given up on this story, and will definitely finish it. It might be a while between updates but I hope you are able to stick with me along the way.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 / The Dreamstone and Forgotten History**

Melchior seemed to be curious to see us again when we appeared at his home once more. He greeted us with the same smile he had times before. We were at the very least, well rested. We stopped at the End of Time and like before took the time to rest. Lucca spent some time with Robo and she explained in more detail the events that had happened up to now. We had decided again for Robo to stay behind for now. So once more it was Lucca, Marle and myself that came to see the older man.

"Have you come back to see my collection?" Melchior indicated toward the many weapons that populated his home.

I shook my head and reached into my bag, retrieving both the hilt and the broken blade of the Masamune and placed it on the counter next to him. "I was wondering if you could answer a question about this sword."

His eyes widened as he moved to my side and ran his hand over the hilt, "This sword, it's the Masamune. How did you get this?"

"So you know what it is then?" Lucca spoke up. "Why is your name engraved in the Masamune?"

Melchior then looked to me and then the girls, "Your name is Crono, correct?"

"It is," I confirmed.

"The reason my name is on this sword is not a simple one," Melchior left the Masamune where it was but then moved to a chair and sat down.

"You aren't from this time period. You can't be, because we acquired the Masamune from the year 600AD," Lucca didn't skirt around the issue.

Melchior did not look surprised by Lucca's statement, "You can travel through time? You found a way to control the Gates?" He sounded incredibly impressed.

"We can only manipulate opening Gates, but it requires a location where that energy is present and stable enough to be manipulated," Lucca pushed up her glasses. I'm sure she would love to fully explain the Gate Key and how she got it to work. But she kept herself focused. "Can you tell us about the Masamune?"

"That sword is unique. The materials I used to forge the weapon are no longer able to be found easily in this time period. The blade is made of dreamstone, as you can imagine, it's properties are unique," Melchior started with a brief explanation.

"When we found the blade we were confronted by two beings named Masa and Mune, is that part of what makes it unique?" I asked.

He nodded, "Those children are what make the Masamune unique. It was only because of them that I was able to create such a powerful weapon. The dreamstone allows for magical beings such as them to be able to live inside of it and bestow power to their wielder."

"Can I ask why you made such a blade?" I followed up.

"That is not easily explained," Melchior averted his eyes. "I come from a time where Magic was common place, but it was also because of magic that things were unpleasant among it's people."

"I am interested in all of this too, but we don't have time for this," Marle was the one that spoke up. That was right... we were in a race against the clock right now. If we didn't hurry then we wouldn't be able to get to Magus in time to stop him.

"Melchior, can you reforge the Masamune?" Lucca asked.

"I could if I had dreamstone. Without it the blade will forever remain broken," Melchior answered. "You won't be able to find it in this time period. It was a glittering red stone, and it was once valued even more than gold. Once upon a time it was used as the reigning currency, unlike now. But you would have to go far back in our history to find it."

"How far back?" Marle asked.

"Long ago. Longer than you can imagine. The further back you go, the easier it will be to obtain," Melchior answered.

"I see," I gathered up the two pieces of the Masamune and returned them to my bag. "We'll figure something out. And then we'll be back." I turned and headed for the door to leave his home.

"I wish the three of you luck then," Melchior called out as we left.

I kept walking as Lucca and Marle caught up to me.

"So... we go through the other light, the one we haven't gone through yet at the End of Time. See if it goes back far enough?" Lucca asked.

"Unless you have a better idea," I shrugged.

"We have to find dreamstone, right? We don't have much of a choice," Marle sighed.

"At least the imps at Medina village seem to be friendly enough to allow us to use the Gate in their house. It has to be quite alarming to see people suddenly appear from no where though," Lucca commented as we were now heading back to that exact place.

"No doubt," I chuckled. "I suppose it makes sense that Melchior came from an earlier time. But I still want to know why he created the Masamune. Or how he convince Masa and Mune to merge with the creation of the weapon. Or if that is even how it works."

"A powerful weapon doesn't get created for no reason," Marle voiced my main concern. "So what was it that motivated him to create a sword with so much power?"

That was exactly what worried me.

* * *

"Hold on!" I yelled as I grasped Marle and Lucca's arms and desperately tried to pull them to me. We had gone through the last Gate we hadn't explored from the End of Time. What we hadn't expected was the other side of the gate being a complete free fall.

I somehow managed to pull the girls to me and put my arms around the both of them. Just in time for us to come crashing onto the ground. I took the majority of it by landing on my back, but the impact was lessened when all three of us rolled before coming to a stop, with me against the ground and the two girls on top of me.

"Crono! Are you okay?" Marle was already up. "O gentle waters, remove these wounds! _Cure!_ " I felt the soothing comfort that came from her magic. The pain I was feeling instantly went away.

"Thanks, that helped a lot," I say as the three of us get to our feet. Marle also casted Cure on Lucca as well to help as we took a moment to note our surroundings.

"A canyon?" Lucca commented.

"How far back do you think we went?" Marle asked but was staying close to me, making sure I wasn't hurt.

I took a deep breath, "Is it just me or does the air seem different?"

"Yeah, though I'm not sure what the difference is. Cleaner, maybe," Lucca said as she pulled out her weapon.

There was something else, something malicious in the air. I pulled out my sword as well. "Come on out! We know you're there!"

So they did. Nearly a dozen creatures came from every direction. Nearly a dozen of them. They stood taller than us, easily and seemed to have scaly green skin. Muscular and menacing, their mouths were large and their teeth equally as large as they looked sharp. They each also had large strong looking tails that could probably serve as a weapon, but their hands were clawed, they looked incredibly deadly. They seemed to snicker and grin as they began to approach us.

Marle quickly readied her crossbow. But this was bad. They looked strong and on top of that, they were definitely smarter than normal monsters we had often encountered in our journey. they were evenly spread, there was no weak point here. Our only real hope was to be able to take two or three of them down quickly so we could escape. But the chances of doing that quickly diminished as they got closer. They tightened their formation but left themselves room to maneuver. This hadn't been the first time they've done this, it was too practiced. Too precise.

I tightened the grip on my katana and adjusted my stance. "Whatever happens, follow my lead. We have to break through. Once we do, run and don't look back."

"Crono..." Marle hesitated.

"No, we're going to get out of this," Lucca added resolutely.

Well, can't say I didn't try. I kept my focus.

However, the situation changed in an instant. I couldn't see clearly but something came from no where, like a bold of lightning. It hit one of the creatures sending it spiraling to the ground. Then whatever or whoever it was unceremoniously snapped the creatures neck. The creatures recognized the threat and half immediately turned to face it. But another fell, and then another. Whatever it was executed the creatures with terrifying efficiency. Two of the creatures bolted away down a different path and their assailant pursued them. The numbers had been cut by more than half. There was only four left that faced us.

I didn't waste the opening. I rushed forward and caught the first creature in its underbelly and pierced my sword into it. It tried to swipe down at me but a crossbow bolt wizzed by my head and into the arm of the creature. I shifted my grip and then pulled my blade across, it briefly met resistance but then it cut through and the creature fell off my blade and to the ground. The first one was dead.

"Crono, jump back!" Lucca warned. I did as instructed and as I did something else passed by me and towards the creatures. The moment it hit the ground it exploded into a ball of fire. This definitely caught them off guard.

"Hit them hard," I said as I dropped my sword and started to call upon my magic. I felt it swell through me, "Resound! Cry from the Heavens! _Lightning!_ "

"Consume! Leave nothing behind! _Fire!_ " Lucca added.

"Shiver! The bite of winter! _Ice!_ " Marle casted her own magic. All of our magic connected with the green scaled creatures. I rushed forward and made sure they were dead.

As soon as I finished checking the last of the creatures and ensure it was dead I quickly turned and raised my sword. I found myself looking into sharp blue eyes with her hand at my throat, but my sword was at hers. Her hair was a light blond and somewhat messy, but it seemed to stay out of her way. Her eyes didn't falter as she looked into mine. Then she smiled and let me go.

I moved my sword away but still somewhat hesitant to lower my guard. Her outfit was definitely minimal, essentially only equal to a biking, but made of animal skin, and the same with her shoes. The distinct part of her outfit was the odd animal like tail she had wrapped around her and freely swung free behind her. She had clearly defined muscles and yet she was distinctly feminine, exuding both confidence and eroticism. In a word, she was intimidating.

"You strong. What name?" the woman asked.

"My name?" I blinked and she nodded. "Crono."

"Crono?" she tilted her head to the side and seemed like she was observing me. Then Marle was at my side and took my arm and boldly stepped in front of me, as if protecting me from this woman. But the woman only smiled bigger. "Crono, good name. Me Ayla. Ayla like strong man."

"Now listen here... Crono is mine, got it?" Marle glared at Ayla.

"You strong, too," Ayla smiled at Marle. "Ayla like strong person. Man, woman... both like! What name?"

"Marle," Marle said after a moment of hesitation. Ayla seemed like she was going to be somewhat hard to follow.

"And you?" Ayla was looking towards the only other person here.

Lucca pushed up her glasses as she walked next to me, "Lucca."

"Marle, Lucca, good names," Ayla nodded more to herself as if she had just come to a decision. "Where from?"

"Well, that one is a bit difficult to answer," Marle had eased up a bit, but still held onto my arm.

"We're from way after the day after tomorrow," Lucca said which made me raise an eyebrow.

Ayla tilted her head while looking at Lucca, trying to figure out what she meant but then she started to laugh, "You funny! Ayla like Lucca!"

"I'm not sure how I feel about this," Lucca sighed.

"We should consider ourselves lucky for starters. We owe her our lives," I comment but finding myself equally as flabbergasted when it came to Ayla. "Thank you, Ayla."

"Yes, thank you for your help," Marle added a bow.

Ayla seemed momentarily confused. Then she quickly dismissed it, "You all come village! Talk and eat. Dance! Drink! Fun!"

"Thank you, Ayla. But were actually looking for something called dreamstone, right now," Lucca was as polite as could be about it.

Ayla just laughed again, "Stone? Stone everywhere! Here, there, village... Ayla give you many, many stone! Ioka village this way! Follow Ayla! Yes?"

"Can we talk first?" I ask after a moment.

Ayla nodded before going over to one of the killed creatures and possibly looting it.

"I don't want to jump to conclusions but..." Marle whispered while keeping an eye on Ayla.

"Her comprehension seems to be high but vocabulary seems to be limited. This combined with unfamiliar creatures suggest that we have gone, way back in time. To be honest, I'm not sure if I could accurately place this time period. At least not yet, I need more information, something I could link it to," Lucca added

"This is clearly the earliest time period we've visited hough. Those creatures are too large to be mystics or any monster. In all the other places we've visited have had monsters that were similar in some way. There wasn't really anything that was truly unique. At the very least we can go with her and find out more about the time, and the kind of civilization they have," I suggest and giving a look to Lucca.

She sighed, "I suppose you're right. I'm not especially opposed to it. But remember, we might be in another time period but the flow of time still moves forward for the Gates. If we're here a week before getting the dreamstone then it will be a week later when we return to 600AD."

"I know but us rushing won't necessarily do us any good either," I reminded her. "We don't know anything and us refusing could be a major insult and make any other people from her village unwilling to help us if we need it."

"You're right," Lucca shook her head. "I guess we don't have much choice."

"Don't worry, Lucca. What's the worst that could happen?" Marle smiled.

* * *

There was no other way to describe it. Lucca was completely and utterly drunk.

"Crono... Hey... Crono, ya gotta try this stuff," Lucca slurred as she sloshed a cup of the drink towards me. Her balance was precarious at best and so I had to stop her from falling. "Whoa, the ground seems to be moving."

I sighed, "The ground isn't moving, you are. And how many of those have you had since the party started?"

"What? Why? I can handle it..." Lucca then released a massive burp which gave me quite the smell of alcohol.

"Clearly you are a picture of sound mind and body," I mutter as I put her back down. "You stay here."

"No, no, Crono! You stay here with me," She put her arms around my neck. "We don't get to spend any time together. I want to be with Crono too!" Her words slurred and now somewhat pouty. This was hardly what I thought I would have to deal with tonight.

It would be easy enough to call Ayla and her tribe, savages but the truth was they were the most advanced humanity was in this time period. And more than likely humanity hadn't been around that long. This likely was before the planet had suffered the ice age. Actually a lot of historians believed that humanity didn't emerge till after the ice age but that didn't seem true now. The climate of the world seemed much different, much warmer... which begged the question, what happens to cause the ice age?

It seemed that the tribe had learned a thing or two about ensuring their food was preserved, which of course led them to the discovery of fermenting and the discovery of alcohol. The fruity concoction was deceptive and likely had a much higher alcohol content than normal. But storing alcohol was better in terms of food storage because it never really went bad. As a matter of fact, alcohol typically got better with age. The food they were serving had also been well spiced and cooked. No doubt they used spices and other methods to help keep meat stay fresh. In terms of their ability to keep stores of food and maintain their livelihood, they were immensely impressive.

The tribe lived mainly in huts, made primarily of animal hide and using wood logs and then turning animal leather into long strips to tie them together. It seemed like they had a ways to go in terms of construction but priorities were different. Keeping a consistent food store as their population grew was important. And it seemed like the population was split in a few ways. Hunters, farmers and then warriors. Your strength was what determined your place in their society.

This place was a daily fight for survival, so there was little use for anyone that couldn't hold their own. But if you had earned your way for most of your life then the older you got you became a mentor for the young. Showing the younger generation how to be ready for the future. It was pretty impressive to see. Some of it Ayla had explained but mostly I had learned all of this by simply observing the members of the village.

And one thing they certainly knew how to do was celebrate. With a massive bonfire in the center of this gathering place, it easily lit up the whole area that had been cleared away for this purpose. What surprised me more was the music. Primitive, sure, but it was surprising to say the least. Even so the music was pretty catchy and somewhat hypnotic in a way. The atmosphere was definitely not what I had expected.

After a bit of effort I managed to pry Lucca off of me and took her drink away from her. But she was drunk enough that she became interested in the food they were serving. I'll have to check on her later.

I instead decided it would be best to check up on Marle. I know she had taken the drink when Ayla offered but hopefully she wasn't too far gone. I'm not sure what I was expecting to be honest. I approached Marle as she was talking with Ayla, the two seemed to be talking about something. I couldn't hear what it was as I approached, Marle noticed me and turned towards me with the biggest smile.

"Crono!" Marle's smile might as well be classified as a weapon because I felt like I was caught completely off guard when I saw it. Not to mention the odd flips my stomach went through. Her green eyes shimmered in the light from the bonfire and she moved up to me and took my hand. She looked back to Ayla. "Thanks Ayla!"

"Welcome, Marle," Ayla replied and giving a small wave as Marle dragged me away.

"What were you talking to Ayla about?" I asked, curiously.

"Hmm, nothing really. Just clearing the air, I suppose," Marle said as she pulled me closer towards the bonfire. "Come on, Crono. Let's have some fun. Let's dance."

I eyed her for a moment, "How much have you had to drink, Nadia?" I used her real name to emphasize the point.

"A couple," she admitted as she let go of me and then spun in place, she put her hands behind her back and then leaned towards me and looking up at me. "I can handle myself. Although their drinks are definitely a bit on the strong side."

I couldn't help but sigh, "I thought your Father would be against you drinking at all, and you're telling me you've drank before?"

"Of course he is against me drinking," Marle giggled.

I facepalmed, "Yes, of course he is." And naturally if her Dad said no that means she would totally try it. I could see it, her Father telling her it wasn't a drink for her. And then she went off in a huff and then snuck into the kitchen and took some anyway. While I was thinking about this, Marle reached up moved my hand and then pulled me down into a kiss. Not caring about where we were or who was watching. And I couldn't help but taste the alcohol on her tongue. I don't know why I was surprised. This has been the way Marle had been from the beginning. Even still, she continued to surprise me.

Honestly, all of this was crazy. Time travel, a creature or being that was going to destroy the world, magic, war, desperation, love and family. How was I supposed to believe all of this? And yet, I only had one option, to get moving forward. Would any of it had happened if I hadn't met Marle?

She broke the kiss and looked up to me with concern in her eyes, "What's wrong, Crono?"

"You know, I feel like I haven't had a moments rest ever since I met you," I cock my head with a grin.

"And I feel I had not been living until I met you," Marle gave a surprisingly serious answer. "After Mom died, I'm not sure what I was doing. Trapped in the castle with just tutors and the brief time I was allowed to go out for training. But I was always accompanied by guards and teachers. I broke that cycle when I made a decision. I was going to take a day to do everything that I wanted. See the fair, maybe meet a guy, have some fun and then when it was all over I would be a selfish Princess and end my own life. Not following rules or a path laid out for me. I would show my Father that the only one in charge of my life is me! And if dying was the only way I could make that point, then I would. But do you know what happened? I met you."

Marle had raised her voice and her eyes held a lot of emotion. I feel like I had accidentally triggered this, but I doubt Marle being slightly inebriated was helping. "What did I do though? What have I done up till now?"

"Idiot! What do you think happened? I fell in love with you! While I was thinking of dying you... you changed that! I started to think, if I was with you, then... then I wouldn't have to feel this way! There was nothing for me! I was alone, in a place that everyone thinks is some sort of paradise. Guards, servants, people that would do whatever you asked. But there are some things in life that you can't just ask for! Don't you know that sometimes you don't know what you need until it's right in front of you?" Marle cried out as tears ran down her face.

"I'm sorry," I stepped forward and wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her against me. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

She shook her head against me, "Moron. They aren't bad memories. It might be difficult, and maybe a bit painful, but it is also because of all of that that led me to you. You, Lucca and even Robo. Everything we've faced since we've met, I don't regret a single one. And I never will, no matter what happens to us. Because this is a choice that I made the path I decided to walk. It was not decided by my Father, the chancellor, or even you, Crono. It was mine. So stop doubting yourself. None of this is your fault."

My fault? Was that what I had been doing? Doubting myself? Yeah, I suppose that was true. This girl seemed to be able to see better than I could see myself.

"I'm being quite the drag, aren't I?" I chuckled as Marle backed up and looked up at me. "How about we dance?"

Marle's eyes light up and a big smile appears on her face, "You aren't allowed to stop until I say so!" She declared.

"I wouldn't dream of it," I laughed as Marle proceeded to push me to dance.

* * *

I'm not sure how long we danced, but it was easily an hour or more before Marle was too tired to keep going. I was pretty surprised I had been able to keep up for so long myself. Marle went to Lucca. Lucca herself seemed like she had passed out at some point. Marle gave me a thumbs up though to let me know she was okay. I sat down as the bonfire was now slowly beginning to ebb away and the other villagers seemed to beginning to disperse. I watched as one of them, a rather strong looking young man looked at me before walking away.

I raised an eyebrow as he no doubt was muttering something about this whole thing to himself. I suppose it isn't odd for not everyone to be a fan of this somewhat unorthodox situation.

"Crono, have fun?" the voice of Ayla asked as I noticed she sat next to me.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said after a moment. "I didn't realize that I had been so focused lately. Then again, if I'm not I can't hope to protect Marle or Lucca."

"Crono think too much. Marle and Lucca, strong. No need to protect," Ayla said with a grin.

I chuckled, "Yeah, you're probably right. Marle made her own choice, and so did Lucca. I'm here too because I wanted to be."

"Crono, need stone?" Ayla then reached under her top and then showed me a large shining red stone and placed it between us. "Why need?"

"To help someone remember who they are," I smiled and looked to the bonfire. "All of us are more than just items we have. But sometimes, they help connect us to important memories."

"Ayla get," Ayla nodded. Though I'm unsure if she actually did get what I was saying but the confidence she had made it seem that way. "Stone proof of Ayla as Chief. Ayla not need though. But Crono drink with Ayla."

I see, she probably noticed I hadn't actually been drinking. I didn't want to insult Ayla or the gift she was giving us. She said that the dreamstone was proof of her as Chief. From the way it sounds, it was likely highly sentimental to her. Yet she was willing to give it to us, to people she just met. Honestly, I didn't get it.

"I don't mind, but Ayla, I have to ask. Why are you doing all this? A party and giving us the dreamstone? Why? We haven't even done anything for you," I look back to her.

For the first time I see a more serious look from her but she quickly shakes that away and smiles, "Reptites threaten all. Many scared to leave village."

"Reptites?" I repeated having never heard the word before.

"Crono won against Reptites. So Crono strong," Ayla said as if I should have already known this.

I think I was starting to get it, "Not many people can fight the Reptites, can they?"

Ayla shook her head, "Not all fight. Some hide. Ayla strong, so Ayla fight. Others scared, Reptites kill many, take others. So Ayla must fight."

"You had this party to give confidence to the ones under you. To show them that there are others that can fight the Reptites," I surmised as I put her words and meaning together. Ayla responded by grabbing two massive cups behind her and handing one to me.

"No more talk. Drink, Crono," Ayla insisted.

I guess I had hit the nail on the head. I picked up the cup. This celebration hadn't been about us, we were a way to show the people some confidence, that there were others that could stand against their enemy. The Reptites. I then quickly drained all the contents of the massive cup I had been handed. It went down smoother than expected. No wonder why Lucca had gotten drunk so quickly. Especially a girl that had never drank before and was more used to keeping herself buried in her inventions or books.

The moment I put it down, Ayla had a large cask and ready to refill it.

"Drink! Crono and Ayla have battle, who drink more!" Ayla said with a grin on her face.

Oh boy... I did not like where this was going as she topped my cup.

* * *

I don't think I had ever felt this bad in my life. My head felt horrible and the prospect of opening my eyes seemed like a bad idea all around. Still, I could hear the usual sounds of morning happening around me. And...hmm, it seemed my chest was heavier than normal. I tried to move my arm but... I couldn't? I opened my eyes and saw Marle snuggled against me, that wasn't unusual. But it seemed Lucca had as well. And... wait, was that Ayla on the other side of Lucca?

Then Ayla groaned and sat up rubbing her eyes. "Uhnnnn!" Ayla stretched out her arms. "Ayla, drink too much."

"Hmm..." Marle stirred from next to me. "Oh, good morning Ayla. Crono are you up?"

She turned towards me and then bent down and kissed me ever so briefly. Before sitting up herself and starting to stretch.

"Lucca! Lucca, morning time!" Ayla had pulled Lucca away from me and was somewhat pinning Lucca to the ground.

"God my head, and... Ayla!" Lucca cried out, but Ayla was grinning.

"Lucca strong, had many drink, almost more than Ayla," she smiled but Lucca was turning a bright shade of red. "Lucca good pillow. Ayla sleep like rock."

"I'm not a pillow! Get off me Ayla!" Lucca said but couldn't break from until Ayla released her. As soon as she did she sat up and did her best to stand but nearly fell over. Ayla was there to steady her. "Umm... thanks Ayla."

"I don't think I've ever seen you so carefree in my life," I comment as I was getting to my feet myself.

"Carefree? I'll have you know that I was simply respecting the customs of their village!" Lucca immediately got defensive. "You aren't innocent here either, you drank plenty yourself!"

I sighed and went to go pick up my things, "Anyway..."

"Don't ignore me! Crono!" Lucca came marching over to me. "I... huh? What?" Lucca's eyes widened as we noticed that a lot of our items were spread all over the ground.

I knelt down and grabbed my bag, "Everything I had is here, but what would be the point? Curiosity maybe? I mean we are outsiders."

"Yeah, my stuff is here too... just all over the place," Marle said as she was checking her stuff.

"It's gone!" Lucca's voice cried out once more but this time with panic. "Crono! The gate key! It's gone!"

"What?" I didn't want to believe it. If it was gone then.

"But without it we'll be... stuck here, right?" Marle looked to me and then we shared a look with Lucca.

"Gate Key?" Ayla asked curiously but then she looked to the ground. "Tracks. Maybe thief?" She looked around and yeah there was definitely some odd looking footprints around but... how could she make heads or tails of it? It looked like they trampled all around this place.

"Were we that out of it? But it isn't like all of us were that drunk. I would imagine someone would have noticed someone rummaging through our stuff," I could have sworn that Ayla still had a few people guarding the party, and no way Ayla would so comfortably sleep with all of us here at the grounds or even allow us to sleep here if she thought it wasn't safe.

"Reptites," Ayla said after a moment. "Tracks lead south. The forest."

Lucca stepped up, "We have to go. Without it we'll be stuck here."

Marle was looking around the grounds as well, "Ayla, was it really Reptites that you spoke of before that did this? If the ones we fought before are about the average height of an adult Reptite I seriously doubt they would have bothered to go through our belongings just to steal one thing and then leave? If they have been known to kill and take your people hostage then wouldn't they have taken the chance to kill you? The leader of one of the main human settlements?"

That sounded right to me, Marle had more than enough knowledge about potential schemes and betrayal's to the throne to realize when something like this didn't add up.

"Ayla knows," Ayla looked to Marle.

"In that case, we should get going," I mutter as I grab my head for a moment. It was going to take a bit to get over this hangover. But if we waited too long the thief might get too far away. What a complicated mess this has turned into. And Ayla, looked like she had an idea as to what this was all about. Suppose even in a time period so fat in the past it didn't mean that humans were all that different. Ayla wasn't that stupid though, she was aware that this was not done by Reptites.

We left the grounds, and headed south. Ayla would stop on occasion as we followed rather obvious tracks to the south. It was too obvious, but then again our brief encounter with the Reptites on our arrival didn't give me the greatest confidence that they would be all that good at stealth either. No doubt when Ayla had helped us it was because she had been tracking the Reptites that had entered human territory. They had been hunting for humans so Ayla had been taking steps to stop her people and likely other humans nearby from being taken.

As we continued to walk, Ayla led the way. She had a confidant stance, someone who was a leader, who was strong. Was it by choice? No. The world she lived in wasn't that kind. Even with the smiles and drinking and the message of hope she had wanted to convey, it was actually somewhat disheartening in a way. Was there anyone as strong as her? Being a leader was a lonely role.

"Crono," Marle muttered from next to me as she was watching Ayla.

"Yeah, I know. But we also have our own priorities right now. We can't do anything without the Gate Key. And even then it isn't like we can do much to help Ayla," I speak in a whisper. "She's strong, Marle. Even if she has a lot to go against. If she didn't find a way to make it then I doubt we would have ever been born."

Marle must have smiled a bit, "That is a good point. Still, she just seems so... lonely."

"The path a leader walks is not always one you can do with others," I say as we followed Ayla into the forest. Standing in front of us was a man wearing similar clothes as Ayla. I had seen him leaving the party last night. "Marle, I think she's just fine."

"Kino!" Ayla yelled in anger as she approached the man. And then without even a moments hesitation, she punched him. I couldn't help but wince hearing the contact and yet Kino barely moved. Both impressive, but Kino did not look back in defiance, no he kept his eyes to the ground, in shame. "What you do, Kino!? Say NOW!" Ayla's anger essentially simmered the air.

Marle, Lucca and I could only stand back as this happened.

"Kino take Crono stuff. Kino sorry," he seemed like he was definitely strong himself.

"Why take!?" Ayla anger did not diminish.

"Kino like Ayla best. But Ayla give Crono party. Kino mad that..." Kino was then punched again by Ayla.

"She is not one to pull her punches either," Lucca commented.

"Nothing hurts more than when the people we want to stand by our side, are the ones that understand that the least," I found myself saying.

"Crono..." Marle whispered.

My Father had left me behind. Of course, I was too young, and yet I had wanted to tell him to let me go with him. That I could use a sword, that I could help. But he was my Father. Of course he wasn't going to let his only son to charge off on a potentially dangerous mission. And one that he ended up never coming back from. Despite my own regrets, I knew my Father had made the right call. Still it doesn't stop any boy from wanting to go with their Father. What a ridiculous circle we often find ourselves in. Kino himself had been jealous, and couldn't understand Ayla's actions. He acted in anger, frustration and jealousy. I could relate.

"Kino, know why Ayla angry?" Ayla asked.

"Ayla no like..." Kino started but Ayla stepped towards him and did something quite different. She kissed him. Kino's eyes widened with surprise. I feel like Ayla was taking a page out of Marle's book. No doubt the woman Chieftain had taken notice of Marle and I's interaction last night.

Ayla pulled away, "No, Kino. Wrong. Ayla like Kino best. So Ayla no want Kino do bad thing! Bad thing not good! Kino not know. Crono and friends beat many Reptite. Show village! Reptite can be beat! Ayla need Kino!"

"Ayla," Kino spoke her name but could not find anything else to say. He turned to look at me. "Crono, Kino sorry." Kino bowed to me. I was a bit surprised, did out concept of manners originate from here? Then again, no harm no foul in my eyes. If Kino had the Gate Key then this mission accomplished and... Wait. Kino wasn't looking at me.

"Kino, where is it?" I asked him, but he stiffened.

"Give thing back to Crono," Ayla demanded.

"Kino attacked by Reptites. Reptites take thing. Went to Forest," Kino told us.

Reptites? No wonder why Kino was already crestfallen before we had even shown up. It wasn't just he was ashamed of his actions, it was because it had gotten worse than he had intended. Even now Kino kept his eyes to the ground. No one felt worse about this than Kino.

"Kino go back to village," Ayla said in a calmer tone. She must have realized that Kino didn't fight back against her because he felt he had deserved it. "Ayla go with Crono and friends and get thing back. Kino protect Ioka."

"Okay, Ayla. Kino go. Ayla stay safe," Kino said before rushing out of the forest and heading back to the village.

We watched as he left.

"He going to be okay?" Marle asked.

"Well he took two of Ayla's punches and didn't seem like he was injured by the Reptite attack before. He likely unintentionally dropped the Gate Key in the struggle," I comment as I pulled up my katana.

"Kino is Ayla's man. Ayla have baby, then Kino Chief," Ayla stated plainly.

I couldn't help but laugh, "Sounds like he didn't have much choice in the matter."

"In a world like this, everyone has to be that strong to survive. Ayla, Kino, their whole village," Lucca commented.

"Next time, Ayla. You should tell Kino what you're doing. Trust and love requires communication," Marle said this to Ayla.

"Ayla knows. Ayla fix when back at village," Ayla instead turned her attention to the path leading deeper into the forest. "Reptite tracks keep going. Crono, Marle, Lucca, follow Ayla."

Following her wasn't easy. Ayla could move quickly but fortunately it meant any monsters we fought along the way had a lot more problems due to Ayla's quick speed and our precession with our weapons. Weapons weren't that developed in this time but Ayla might as well claim fame for developing the first martial art. Her strength was something that was hard to describe, and her movements were never wasted. Using only the minimal amount to dodge and then quickly dispatch her enemies. And she did so with her bare hands.

Ayla was equally impressed with us and the use of magic. The first time we had used it she had stopped and asked a bunch of questions.

"What Marle do?" Ayla asked after seeing an ice spell.

"It's called magic," Marle smiled. "It's a power we all share."

"Lucca magic too?" Ayla looked to Lucca.

"Yes, as well as Crono," Lucca pushed up her glasses.

"Crono too? Ayla like magic," Ayla seemed pretty impressed by the display but even still she refocused herself as we made it to the deepest part of the forest and found a cave. "Reptite lair."

Inside the cave was well lit, and the structure of it... better made than I had expected. It seems the Reptites were smarter than I gave them credit for. Even if they didn't know the purpose of the Gate Key it would definitely look like something of value. And if humans are the main enemy then... of course they would take it. It continued farther in, the monsters were stronger and we even ran into groups of Reptites.

Ayla never hesitated to act as we continued on. She was also surprised by the fact that a lair for Reptites had been so close to her village. I wonder if she had been looking to see if the villagers she said had been captured would be here, but no such luck. Well either way, Ayla was cautious but moved with purpose. We descended further and further into the cave.

We entered a larger room after a while. And standing before us was a Reptite that had much more intricate clothing. "What in the world is this thing? Could those filthy apes have crafted something this advanced?" His speech was clear, more diverse than Ayla and the people of her village. This kind of threw me for a loop.

"Azala!" Ayla took a battle stance so I went on guard as well.

Azala regarded us with apparent disinterest but that changed when he did a double take of us. "It seems that you hairless apes are cut from a finer cloth than Ayla. That could make this easier. Tell me, apes, what is the purpose of this device?" He turned to us and in his hand, wait, claw? Either way he was holding the Gate Key.

I shrugged and looked to Lucca.

"It's a device that detects and opens Gates in locations where a time space distortion has previously materialized or has amassed that energy. Essentially forcing them to expand briefly to allows us to step in and travel through time," Lucca gave a purposefully all too brief and confusing explanation of the Gate Key.

Azala looked taken aback and glared at us and then the Gate Key, but clearly didn't understand anything that Lucca had said. So he decided he was being made fun of instead, "Lies! Do you take me for a fool? No one would talk so easily if... whatever you said was true!"

"You asked us to tell you the purpose of the device, and I did so. What you do with that knowledge is up to you," Lucca pushed up her glasses as she pulled her weapon out from her bag.

A flash of irritation crossed Azala's face and then he called out, "Come, Nizbel!"

It wasn't like we were going to be able to avoid violence, but it would have been a nice change. Still the next thing the ground seemed to shake as something came charging in. I grabbed Marle and we dove to the side, both Ayla and Lucca jumping to the other as this massive creature bull rushed themselves into a wall with a loud crash. It then turned back towards us and let out a deafening roar. It was bipedal and seemed to have muscle after muscle stacked on each other. And also had two massive horns on its forehead. Intimidating didn't even begin to describe the presence of Nizbel.

"Okay, now what?" Marle asked a bit sarcastically as we jumped back up to our feet.

"Now, fight!" Ayla yelled as she charged in towards Nizbel.

Marle sighed as she pulled up her crossbow and took aim. "Not really what I meant."

Ayla was landing punches and kicks, but mainly kept Nizbel focused on her, which was good. But Nizbel's hide looked especially tough, I wasn't even sure if my sword would be able to get through it. I readied my sword and as I did Marle took the opportunity to fire a crossbow bolt, but it merely grazed Nizbel and seemed to do nothing at all. It wasn't like I thought fighting a Reptite would be easy but...

"Ayla, back up!" Lucca yelled and tossed something towards Nizbel. Ayla jumped back just as the object exploded into a fireball against the Reptite. But when the smoke cleared he still stood and instead roared once more with more ferocity. And started to charge towards us.

Ayla then jumped forward and landed quite the devastating kick to Nizbel's face and sent him spiraling away. Well, he was vulnerable so I took a shot.

I put my katana away as I quickly chanted a spell, "Resound! Cry from the Heavens! _Lightning!_ " The magic came crashing down from seemingly nowhere and hit the Reptite. It let out a howl of pain, electricity sparking around him.

"That did it!" Marle grinned.

But Nizbel was pulling himself to his feet, though obviously in pain.

"Crono! Hit Ayla! Lightning Ayla!" Ayla turned to me. I blinked at her. Hit her? I... wait. Maybe like how Marle had given my sword the power of her magic before?

The thought crossed my mind and the words appeared in my head. "Marle, Lucca, you hit him after Ayla, got it?"

"We're on it!" They confirmed in unison.

I raised my hands towards Ayla, "Channel the power of Thunder through her body! _Lightning Charge!_ "

Ayla was then struck by a bolt of lightning but instead of striking her, it surrounded her and she had quite the grin as she charged towards Nizbel. She hit the Reptite again and again and each time more of the lightning that surrounded her slammed directly into Nizbel's body. He growled in pain and when Ayla had finished she jumped back just as the girls had finished their own spell.

"Consume and Shiver! _Antipode!_ " Lucca and Marle cried out as their combined magic attack hit the now vulnerable Nizbel. And just as it cleared I had pulled my sword back out and charged Nizbel. And ran him through with my sword. I'm not sure why it was so effective. Either way, Nizbel was dead and he fell back onto the ground. Azala looked stunned at what we had just done. A group of "apes" had defeated his muscular monstrosity of a minion, who was now dead.

"How? How do you apes have so much strength?" He let out a low growl as he took a hesitant step back away from us.

"Give thing back Crono now!" Ayla demanded.

Azala looked like he was weighing his options. His eyes flicked to the door behind him, "Very well... You've won for today. But such an impressive show of strength will not change the future. Reptites are the way of the future and this world belongs to us." Azala then tossed the Gate Key to the ground and then turn and quickly ran through the exit behind him.

I watched Azala disappear out of view as Lucca rushed up and scooped up the Gate Key and did a quick inspection of it.

"I don't see any exterior damage. To be safe I should do a full analysis when we get back to Ioka Village," Lucca said as she put it into her bag.

"Ayla, is it alright to let Azala go for now?" I asked the Village Chief.

She nodded, "Azala smart, use traps for escape. Ayla fight only when ready." It seemed like she had been fighting the Reptite for quite some time.

"He was the leader of the Reptite's?" I asked her.

"Yes," Ayla answered simply. She turned but something in her motion caught my eye. I turned just as Ayla stumbled and then she collapsed but I was there to catch her.

"Ayla!" Marle rushed to her other side. She quickly checked Ayla's pulse and then sighed in relief. "She's fine, but she does feel like she is burning up a bit. She might be a little sick."

"We should take her back to the village, and then we can treat her properly," Lucca said as she pulled out her weapon. "Don't worry. Marle and I can handle anything that gets in the way."

"She fought pretty hard for someone that likely had a hangover," I muttered as I looked at Ayla's face. Despite being unconscious she looked like she was burdened with something. I adjusted her in my arms and pulled her closer to me. It had to be hard being a leader, especially when every day had its own challenges. And with all of that when did she ever have time for herself?

"I think I understand what she probably feels," Marle said as we all started to leave towards the exit. "I never held that power but one of the things that is constantly imposed on me by all my tutors was the amount of weight that is on my shoulders. For Ayla it has to be worse. She is responsible for so many people that don't have her strength to fight. I think that party last night truly was one of the first times in a while that she has enjoyed herself. Probably why Kino felt so threatened by you. If anyone knows what Ayla has gone through it would be him. Though she probably wanted him to celebrate with her, not to stand around and watch. And she wasn't going to go out of her way to tell him either."

"And I would assume that Kino thought that it was no time for a party and that they needed to keep their guard up. A difference of opinion by the strongest couple in the village," I chuckle a bit as I think about it. "Kino will learn. There is a time to plan, a time to fight, but there is also a time to remind ourselves why we fight. Take the time to enjoy yourself with the ones you love."

Marle glanced over at me, "When will we get time to do that? Even last night we had a goal in mind."

I shrugged and was unsure how I could answer it, "After we stop Lavos from being summoned, I hope." That was if Magus was the one that brought forth Lavos. All we had was rumors, and the truth of it was, that the day we would be done fighting could be a long way off.

* * *

"She looks a lot better than she was," I said as I approached where she was laying in the Chief's tent.

Marle looked up at me from Ayla's side and nodded, "Looks like the Cure spell did wonders for her. She started resting a lot easier."

"Kino thank Crono," the young man named Kino, who had to be about the same age as Ayla, bowed to me. "Kino thank Marle and Lucca too!" He bowed to the girls. Lucca who had been sitting nearby with a number of tools out as she was looking at the Gate Key.

"It's fine Kino. But next time there is a party, ask Ayla to dance," I comment with a shrug.

He nodded and looked back to Ayla. I took the chance to move over to Lucca and sat down.

"A cursory glance didn't show any damage, and looks like my diagnosis should almost be complete," Lucca comment as she had a couple wires connected to the Gate Key and her small scanner device was attached on the other end. It seemed to be spouting out numbers or something at her but it didn't make any sense to me.

"So now we just take the dreamstone to Melchior and have him reforge a legendary blade... then take it back in time to give it to a bipedal frog swordsman in hopes that he can help us get into the lair of the ruler of Mystics. And just on the off chance that Magus could be the one responsible for summoning Lavos, even though it doesn't show up until the year 1999...just a year short of 1300 years later. Just what are we doing Lucca?" I find myself sighing at the ridiculous nature of the statement I had just made.

"Don't forget about how we're changing the timeline by fixing the Masamune," Lucca pointed out as she kept her eyes on her scanner and was pressing a few buttons here and there as the readout on the device continued. "What will happen in the present day with the Masamune present? What will happen between the year 600 and 1000? Does the presence of that sword change anything? More than likely it will. Crono, everything we do, every little thing we change could have impacts in countless lives. There is no way we can calculate how far reaching the things we change will go. Look at what we went through. If we hadn't arrived here, what would have happened? Ayla would have likely killed the Reptites that had attacked us and then simply continued her fight with the Reptites. The party last night wouldn't have happened. The fight between Ayla and Kino wouldn't have happened. But something else would have. We could have unknowingly had adverse effects on hundreds of generations of humans after Ayla. But you know we can't worry about that. We have to keep going."

"Lucca," I averted my eyes from her this time. "I get it. Just like before, we can't think about it. We do what we have to, because as long as we can avert Lavos destroying the world then it will be worth it. No matter what happens to us at the end, right?"

"If we reach the end of this journey and we make it back to our time, we may never be able to return home. We could forever be wanted criminals for kidnapping a princess. And just like you, we know what they would do."

"Yeah, they wouldn't have a problem executing us and trapping Marle in her room for the rest of her life," I muttered.

"That won't happen," Marle interjected into the conversation and sitting down next to me. "We don't have to go back, even after we stop Lavos. And we will stop Lavos. We can find a quiet place to live out our lives in peace. That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

Lucca stopped and looked up to Marle and then back at the scanner as it beeped. Pressing a few more buttons on the scanner, "No, actually it wouldn't be a bad life at all. But we'll decide that only after it comes to it." She then disconnected the wires from the Gate Key. "Analysis complete. It checks out, the Gate Key is working within acceptable parameters. Though I would likely prefer to be more thorough if we are able to. But we should head back to Melchior and get the Masamune reforged."

"Crono," it was Ayla. I turned and saw Ayla looking towards me. "Crono leave?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I have things to do. Promises to keep."

"Promises?" Ayla asked.

"Something I said I would always do. And I have a friend that needs help, even if he doesn't know it," I smiled slightly thinking of how oddly stubborn Frog had been when we last saw him. Still, I doubt he would react the same with the reforged Masamune in hand.

"Crono, come back?" Ayla asked.

"We'll definitely come back," Marle turned to Ayla.

"Indeed," Lucca got to her feet and pushed up her glasses. "I learned a lot from your strength Ayla. Thank you." Lucca bowed.

Marle jumped to her feet and bowed as well, "Let's party again next time!"

Ayla grinned, "Yes! Crono, Marle, Lucca, come again. Have party! Drink! Eat! Dance! Fight! Fun!"

Ayla and Kino both gave us a small wave as the three of us left the tent and then put Ioka Village behind us as we returned to the canyon that we had arrived from.

So we were going to head back, until we got to the base of the canyon and found ourselves looking up.

"Don't tell me. The Gate is actually up there... like the middle of the air," Marle said with an obvious dread in her voice. She knew what Lucca was going to say before she did, and just as Lucca opened her mouth, Marle spoke out again, "No, no, I'm not ready for this. We have to go jump off a cliff to get into a Gate now? Crono..."

"Whining to me isn't going to make it suddenly appear on the ground, you know," I sigh but it didn't stop Marle from grabbing my arm and looking at me as if she was basically telling me to carry her. Well that was probably exactly what she was trying to say to me.

"It shouldn't be bad. It isn't that high up. I mean the landing had been a bit rough, but we'll be coming out at the end of time so it's just a short drop and then we'll be there," Lucca said this but I think she was trying to psych herself up over the drop. Honestly, I probably wasn't that great at heights either... but I should probably not let the girls know that at the moment.

"I think I see a ledge up there, shouldn't be too hard to get to. I think," I comment and pointing to something a bit higher up.

"Crono," Marle pouted.

"It will be fine," Lucca said but then no one moved.

I sighed and started moving and dragging Marle along with me. "Come on you two."

"R-right," Lucca followed me as I took a path that went up.

Marle didn't resist me but she definitely was not looking forward to this. The path was pretty steep but it wasn't difficult. Thankfully getting to the ledge I had found had not been hard at all.

"I'll open the path," Lucca said as she pulled out the Gate Key and then held it towards the wide open space beneath the ledge. And thankfully the Gate opened without hesitation.

"Crono... I don't want to..." Marle started but I quickly pulled her and Lucca towards me and then without any warning I pulled them both with me off of the ledge. "AHHHHH!"

It was only a brief feeling of vertigo before we entered the Gate. And then that similar feeling of going on a slide came and then we came tumbling out at the End of Time. When we came to a stop both of the girls were on top of me.

"Crono! You jerk!" Marle said as she sat up.

"I was completely unprepared for that!" Lucca added as they both turned towards me as I got up myself.

"But it's over now," I pointed out.

Marle crossed her arms and looked away from me. Apparently not happy with me. I shrugged and got to my feet. As I did I saw Robo there to greet us.

"It is good to see you all again," Robo said politely. "Was your mission a success?"

I nodded, "Yep, one chunk of dreamstone later and we can finally get the Masamune reforged. Hopefully this will convince Frog to help us."

"He will," Lucca said as she stood up and adjusted her glasses. She took a moment to take a deep breath, likely still trying to get her heart rate under control, no thanks to me. "I don't think he'll turn down the chance to face Magus with the Masamune."

"Let's hope not," Marle said and turned towards me. "Don't do that again."

"I will do what I have to, if it means keeping you safe," I countered as I wasn't about to make a promise I had every intention of breaking if the situation called for it. "And we are on a time limit. We don't have the luxury."

Marle sighed, "I know you're right. Sorry. You just... really caught me off guard."

"That was kind of the point," I scratched my head. "Robo, wait for now. Though depending how this goes we may be back sooner than later."

"As you will. I shall remain on standby for when you have need of me," Robo said politely. I didn't particularly like leaving Robo here but there wasn't too much choice with the way the Gate's worked. For now we needed to keep moving forward.

* * *

"Dear me, you truly found dreamstone?" Melchior blinked, finding it hard to see the stone laid out on the table of his workshop along with the pieces of the Masamune. "With this I should be able to reforge the blade to be whole again. How in the world were you able to retrieve both the Masamune and dreamstone?"

"It wasn't easy. Had to face some unique enemies along the way," I answered him honestly.

His eyes lingered on me for a moment before looking back at the blade, "This world is full of many unbelievable tales and mysteries. Many are probably best left unanswered. I will do as I said I would and reforge the sword. Please, make yourselves at home. This will take time."

"If you don't mind, Melchior. I'd like to lend a hand," Lucca offered.

"An extra set of hands would do well. And the three of you can use magic yes?" Melchior asked straight out.

I blinked, "Yes."

"That will make this process better then. You remember meeting those two?" Melchior's question was vague but it sparked an image in my mind.

"You mean those two beings... Masa & Mune," I answered.

"Those unruly children can be a handful but they are the core of this weapon. Magical beings that give the Masamune it's power. It is what makes it different than any normal blade. Though most humans are incapable of even seeing them. Humanity has long since lost that power although they still feel that power radiates from it. The Guardia line had long since handed the sword down to its most renowned swordsman for generations, ever since the birth of the Kingdom. Although, I suspect you had thought of that much, Crono," Melchior explained as he put his hands out and over the hilt of the Masamune.

"You know quite a lot, Melchior," I was beginning to wonder where the old man came from. He was too knowledgeable to be just some random old weapons smith.

"I'm simply an old man that knows too much about the weapons of this world," he shook his head.

That might be how he felt but he seemed to be much more than that. We knew he wasn't from this time period, and came from when humans having magic was common place. But clearly that was not something common in the present time. So what happened? If he came from the past then how far back was it? Melchior was likely pulled into a Gate at some point and ended up here. But he had no means in which to return to his own time, so he settled in. Either way there was definitely more to Melchior's story. I seriously doubted he was a simple old man that knew too much of weapons.

"Come on, Crono. Let's get out of their way so they can work," Marle took my hand and pulled me away towards a pair of chairs in the corner.

"So how are you going to fix it?" Lucca asked Melchior.

"We'll have to refine the dreamstone, and then we'll have to head them all to properly meld it. But then I must ask you to use your magic to help properly forge the blade. Do not worry, I shall guide you through the process," Melchior said as he scooped up the supplies and went to his forge that he had started up.

As I sat down I watched as Melchior and Lucca began to work. "The Masamune, huh?" I mutter.

"If we had the Masamune in our time, I think Sir Lazarus would have been the one to use it," Marle commented.

I blinked, "My Father?"

"Well, your Father was the best swordsman of all the knights. It definitely shows in you," Marle said as she looked to me.

"Me? No. I only learned the basics from my Father. Everything else I learned from Mom. She was always stronger than Dad anyway," I shrugged at the thought.

"Yes, but it was your Father who was a knight in service to my family. That's why he would likely be the one to hold it," Marle assured me.

"Either way, there was a reason the sword became a myth. It was around the middle ages when the sword all but disappears. I imagine that it has something to do with what happened to Frog. He had one of the pieces of the Masamune. I would imagine that whenever he had been turned into a frog was when something happened to the Masamune. So what happens if we restore it? Does that mean the Masamune will find its way to our time then?" It was more rhetorical in nature. There was no real telling what kind of impact it would have.

"Or maybe, we were always meant to restore the Masamune," Marle suggested.

I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"It's just a thought. But what if we were meant to change time?" Marle laid her head on my shoulder as we continued to talk.

"You mean, if there is some higher power that wanted us to take the mission of fighting Lavos... and fixing the things through time in the process?" I wasn't sure I cared for that idea. "No, I like to think that we weren't meant to do anything. These are our choices."

"Okay, well what I mean was that this all could have started because of something. Something that isn't easy to explain. How could anyone anticipate what happened at the fair? That my pendant would react to Lucca's device and send me through time? You made a choice then, but the situation could have been the intention of intertwining our lives together," Marle said as her hand took mine and intertwined our fingers together. "If you hadn't come after me, I would be gone. But then us finding a different Gate, that led to the future. Those moments could have been intentional for us to find. Though the choice was always ours to make."

The concept was a simple one. There was no such thing as Fate... but could certain events be transfixed? A fateful encounter, a moment in which a decision must be made that can change someones life.

I shook my head, "It doesn't matter to me if these were situations that I was supposed to make a choice on or not. My decisions wouldn't change. Either way, we will do what we believe is right."

Marle giggled from next to me, "You are surprisingly obstinate sometimes. You aren't one that is religious in anyway, are you?"

It was a good question, "It isn't that I don't believe in the possibility of a higher power. But I prefer to keep my faith on something I have control of. My own skills and decisions I make. Life is too short to waste time on praying to someone that more than likely doesn't care if my life is a good or a bad one."

"I think I remember Sir Lazarus saying something similar," Marle commented.

"Yeah, because my Father is the one that taught me it," I say with a sigh as I looked to Melchior and Lucca as they continued to work. The thought of time travel being a tool had crossed my mind since our journey started. And Lucca and I's discussion we had just a bit earlier had come back to my thoughts. I had entertained the thought of being able to save my Father. A ridiculous notion that I shouldn't even think of. And yet, I couldn't help it. The truth of the matter was, we never held a funeral for my Father. Had never even considered doing so, even after the Military showed up to say he was dead. Perhaps Mom and I were just in a continued state of denial. Some odd thought that maybe he was just gone on a long mission. It was stupid of me.

"Crono?" Marle must have sensed the change in my mood. "Sorry I don't mean to keep bringing up your Father."

I shook my head, "No it's fine. I just had some stupid thoughts in my head about what other things we could potentially change. I'm sure every kid would dream about getting their parent back if they lost them in some form or another."

"Yeah I get it. I had the same thoughts, about my Mom," Marle spoke softly. "But that's impossible, right?"

"It seems like the places we can go to are transfixed. I doubt we have the free form to do anything like that. The most we could do would try and leave a message but, considering the amount of time that would pass, there is no way we know they would get it. But it's more than that," I said and took a breath. "Do we really know what happened around the time your Mother died? Or my Father? Without knowing exactly what happened, what could we say that would change it?"

"Yeah, I know. Mom died from a sickness but, I was young. And with everything we've seen I'm not so sure if it was that simple. But your Father's death is probably more suspect. Sir Lazarus was too skilled to be sent on some convoy detail," Marle commented and shook her head. "It's only because of you that I began to start questioning things. Maybe Father does have a reason to be so protective of me. But even if he does, it doesn't excuse him trying to kill you."

"That is the point though. What don't we know? How much of history has been forgotten? As we continue to go through time and change it so we can face Lavos... how much will we possibly lose just to guarantee we have a future?" I put my arm over Marle and pulled her closer to me.

"But we have to, even if we lose everything. That's what we have to accept. That's the truth of what we decided, right?" Marle allowed herself to snuggle close to me as Melchior and Lucca continued to work.

I didn't say anything and just got comfortable as I felt so tired all of a sudden. Could we even succeed against something capable of destroying the world? What would happen when we finally saw what Lavos even was? I don't know why, but my blood went cold as horrible possibilities flooded my mind.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **While writing this fan fiction and also replaying that section of the game, it surprises me how some of the more pivotal plot points in the game tend to go by so quickly. Despite the significance of the Masamune the actual history and creation of the sword is never quite explained. We do get a taste of how powerful the sword is with some of the feats it is able to accomplish though. Some of which I'll explore in the next chapter. But for the most part the sword is given a unique name but is never that elaborated on. Also I find it strange that the name Masamune is a reference to the ancient Japanese swordsmith named** **Gorō Nyūdō Masamune, and yet the Masamune itself in the game of Crono Trigger is a double edge broadsword and not a taichi or a tanto which is what the swordsmith was primarily known for. And the only swords in the game close to that are Crono's but Crono uses a katana which is an eventual evolution of the taichi. Anyway I just thought it was interesting that such a significant sword is actually quite different from what it references.**

 **I think another thing that somewhat bothered me is how much Melchior doesn't say, as he obviously knows quite a bit about the Masamune. So I made him a little more obvious in the story that he knows quite a significant amount more than he lets on. Plus I feel like there should be a bit more curiosity on Crono and gang's end when they face Masa & Mune just to claim the sword... and to know that there is a process in which beings can somehow live inside of a object exists should raise some eyebrows. I didn't go too much into it for this chapter but I'll likely explore more of it soon. Moving on...**

 **Ayla has made her debut, and she's definitely fun to have around. More so is trying to write her dialogue because there is just a lot thinking involved when having to write her. Keeping her language simple and eliminating say all conjunctions from her speech. Going over the dialogue and that was definitely one thing I noticed. Though I feel the more time Ayla spends with the group she will pick up new words and be able to have more complex sentences later on in the story. Also a definite lack of Pronoun's as well. While it can come off as them talking in third person, but if you notice every is always called by their name in all prehistoric speech. (Actually there are few exception I believe in random NPC's but all the main dialogue of Ayla and Kino for example never use pronouns that I have seen) It was definitely interesting.**

 **Ayla always came off as a bit carefree when I originally played through it when I was a kid, but having played the game so many times in my life I've begun to see it a bit differently. And mostly it is that Ayla wears confidence like a mask to be an inspiration to her people. She's strong out of necessity and as evident through the game, she values strength over everything because she has to. The constant threat of Reptites and the threats of nature all posed considerable challenges to her people. And humanity was split in that time period, those who choose to hide from the threats and then Ayla and her tribe that decided to fight it. This conflict in politics is something that is present all throughout humanity and this is no different. So at times, I want to have Ayla's exterior of strength to occasionally show cracks, and show just how heavily it all weighs onto her. And I hope I was able to convey just a part of that in her first appearance.**

 **Next chapter will likely be a big one. Frog gets the Masamune and we charge into Magus' Castle. This is where I feel the plot will definitely start to kick up. I think a lot of you are waiting for Magus. Well I am too as he is one of my favorite characters, as well as Schala. Well, I hope you are all looking forward to it, and I'll see you next time.**


End file.
